Republicans embrace Obama’s offer to trim Social Security benefits

[Summer Hathaway]

111. There wouldn't have been a peep about it in any event.

It was a one-off proposal. Obama said, "Here's what I'm offering - wanna discuss it?" The GOP said, "No!"

End of proposal, end of conversation. Why would there be any discussion of something that is already dead and buried, and that the WH KNEW would be dead and buried as soon as the Republicans read it.

As for "this causing problems for all Dems for some time to come", that's utter BS. Most voters don't follow the budget process at all, especially at this point in the proceedings. They're interested in the budget when finalized - and most only to the extent it affects them, i.e. Are my taxes going up? Are my gov't benefits going down?

Political junkies forget that while we might discuss every tiny detail along the way, the average voter doesn't. Ergo, what is seen as a big fuckin' deal on political discussion sites is often not even on most people's radar at all.

There will be lots of political wrangling in the months to come - and when the dust clears, what was in an initial (and totally rejected) proposal won't even be a vague memory.