Obama plans to “an unpalatable menu of choices… for presentation to Republicans against a November loss by the President’s party”? Clinton tried that in 1995; it didn’t work. The public swallowed the Republican cuts without flinching; people are much more willing to make sacrifices than the political class believes.

If the Republicans are handed control of Congress in the fall what they could do is immediately pass a balanced budget simply by passing the 2007 budget, which is when expenditures more or less matched the tax revenues being brought in today. Passing a balanced budget amendment would be popular, too, and should have been done years ago. And if they really want to impress everyone and cement their control for a very long time, they should also pass a term limits amendment, and make a big deal about ending the obscene gerrymandering that makes half the elections in the country a joke. The main point they need to make is that the Republicans are the party that wants to behave responsibly, and wants to shift power from the self-interested political class to the people and the states.