Max Baucus

I tuned into the News Hour on PBS for a few minutes during a commercial break on Air America and caught the end of a discussion of Social Security with Senators Baucus (D-MT) and Grassley (R-IA). I was astounded when I heard him come right out and say it. The Democrats won't negotiate on Social Security until privatization is officially off the table (not the surprising part), because they can't trust the Republicans to negotiate honestly. They're concerned about a bait-and-switch bamboozle in committee or some other sleazy tactic. As I was in the car, driving, I couldn't transcribe it or tape it and I've taken liberties with my paraphrase. But that was the clear and unmistakable gist of it. And he went out of his way to make sure people knew he wasn't talking about Grassley (and rightly so).

Hallelujah! Finally. If I'm starting to hear it from the likes of a Montana DLC member, I'd better start hearing it from others, too. C'mon folks, let's hear a little more of this kind of honesty.