There's now near unanimous agreement that projected deficit reductions will come EXCLUSIVELY from entitlement cuts, which means they'll be smoke and mirrors that CAN'T actually balance the budget or reduce debt, but will allow Obama to put off doing anything. The only question is whether Dems manage to avoid sorely hurting tens of millions by reducing benefits they've paid for most of their adult lives. Personally, I think it's doubtful; Dems have proven time and again that Republicans need only say, "no" long enough to get everything they want, and when things like extending the Bush tax cuts blow up you'll even claim it's ENTIRELY the Dems fault for not refusing what your party demanded. Republicans need only wait for Obama to get his butt handed to him by a public that elected him to reverse the supply side disaster he's perpetuated, and take the disproportionate number of Senate Dems up for re-election with him.

Meanwhile the deficit and thus the debt will continue to grow unchecked. Maybe the next president will have the integrity and will to address the problem on both fronts as we must; Congressional Dems have managed to work with Republican presidents when necessary, but Republicans haven't done it since Newt was Speaker. Who'd have thought during the government shutdown and Clinton impeachment that we'd soon look back on those days as a golden age of balanced budgets, falling debt, unprecedented prosperity and actual bipartisan cooperation between the White House and Congress. Congress was actually MORE bipartisan and effective when they were trying to impeach the President for adultery; how far we have sunk....