Douthat challenges liberals:
A liberal version of the Ryan roadmap could be written pretty easily. But it wouldn’t look like the current Democratic legislation, and it certainly wouldn’t claim to balance the budget just by finding efficiencies throughout the existing health-care system. It would propose tax hikes, and significant ones enough to take the government’s share of G.D.P. to 25 percent, 30 percent, or beyond.
In the end, this the choice we’re facing: Tax increases, spending cuts, or some combination thereof. To the consternation of some of his more risk-averse colleagues, Ryan has offered up a serious small-government approach, painful cuts and all. His liberal critics should take up his challenge, and tell us just how high they’re willing to see taxes rise instead.
A-fucking-men. This is a two-way street, guys. And the Dems and libs need to own up to their own fantasies and cowardice as well.