JAMES PETHOKOUKIS ON THE DEFICIT COMMISSION: “Limiting spending to 21 percent of GDP basically kills Obamacare. I am pretty sure it needs higher levels of funding, so we are talking a complete restructuring. Certainly the GOPers on the commission believe this to be the case.”

UPDATE: Reader G.L. Carlson writes: “I’ll believe the deficit commission is serious when they propose cutting bodies, not benefits. Whole functions, not ‘3% across the board’. Though 21% is a good start for a limit. 15% would be better.”

ANOTHER UPDATE: Reader Jim Hicks writes: “The result is about what you’d expect from a group of Washington insiders. How about a Tea Party Deficit Reduction Commission? The whole approach to the analysis of the problem needs to be different.”