Given his influence among Beltway elites, and the actual substance of Paul Ryan's budget, I honestly think that this is the most pernicious column David Brooks has written in recent memory:
Over the past few weeks, a number of groups, including the ex-chairmen of the Council of Economic Advisers and 64 prominent budget experts, have issued letters arguing that the debt situation is so dire that doing nothing is not a survivable option. What they lacked was courageous political leadership — a powerful elected official willing to issue a proposal, willing to take a stand, willing to face the political perils.
