Yep. This is exactly what Obama has been up to:
This “permission structure” business illuminates the centrist Democrats approach to revoking the New Deal. Bi-partisan commissions, historic presidencies, hostage-taking, tribalism are all tools for obtaining permission to violate core values that poll really, really well.
I told you before that I know for a fact that the White House was working with the Petersen people to push Social Security cuts. But they’re not as clever as they think they are, because they’re having a lot of trouble convincing the tattered remnants of our economy to complete the job and slit their own throats.
The big train is just around the bend. I can hear the whistle already. The Tea Party and the right are trapped in a small quadrant from which break out isn’t possible. The Dems have triangulated so far to the right that all the talk of centrism is whimsy. The vacuum is on the left. The explosive issue looming over that space is entitlements. A single issue driven party that embraces the mandatory language of entitlement is going to explode on the scene. The critical mass is already there and can only grow. There is a majority right now that could not retire without Social Security or Medicare. The argument that employment can be extended into the seventies is totally contradicted by hiring practices, and discrimination against senior workers in the current labor surplus will only sharpen. It may be the Grand Bargain that does it or, more likely the step beyond. It will take off when some patrician prick like Peterson, Simpson or maybe Friedman calls for sacrifice that once again lines the pockets of the elites. We can’t possibly afford it? Bullshit. We can print money to maintain a military global colossus. Keep the promise. Tax or print, we don’t care. The resulting inflation is going to take care of the redistribution and don’t you dare touch COLAs. Whoo, whoo Democrats, reality is going to run you over.