MICKEY KAUS on Social Security reform:

‘Defending’ Social Security and achieving a decent health care system is less likely to ‘galvanize and strengthen progressive reform as a whole’ than it is to either bankrupt the government or require a larger tax burden than citizens are willing to bear. . . .

It’s when you don’t think we should save the “universal” Social Security system that you don’t want to engineer a few moderate Bush-style cuts now in order to make it solvent for the next 100 years, which will only convince everyone there’s no reason to tamper with it! Better to leave the system alone and make truly radical, means-testing cuts later, when a) it will be clear there’s a budget crisis and b) Democrats will be in a position to achieve something big, like national health insurance, in return.

I’m not sure how a budget crisis in Social Security will produce a favorable environment for another big entitlement program, but maybe I’m missing something here.