Or, to put the question from a liberal Democratic perspective, where is the Democrats’ plan for social security? It was certainly striking to see both Michael Kinsley and the editors of the Washington Post grudgingly praise the president and call on the Democrats to submit a plan of their own. (And even if less explicitly, Nicholas Kristof has broken with the Democratic line.) The Post acknowledged that: “The Social Security system does need fixing.” Or, as Kinsley put it: “[The Democrats] know in their hearts that Social Security has got to change in some unpleasant way.” Both Kinsley and the Post are speaking up because they know the president has offered a real solution–one that slows the growth of benefits, while also protecting the less well off. And with a real solution on the table, Kinsley has acknowledged that voluntary private accounts will not be harmful. I’d say the president’s proposal is a stunning success. He’s rightly being praised on substance, and pressure on the Democrats to stop obstructing and finally make a deal is mounting.