15 Feb, 2010

But the larger point is that Ryan is trying to start a conversation on the desirable role and limits of government. He’s trying to make it possible to talk about sensitive issues — mainly Social Security and Medicare — without being vilified…If Democrats don’t like Ryan’s vision, the proper response is to design and defend their own plan. The fact that they don’t have one is a national embarrassment.

— Robert J. Samuelson, Paul Ryan’s lonely challenge: controlling runaway deficits