Analysts may be correct that the presidential election won't primarily turn on entitlements reform but by choosing Paul Ryan as his running mate Mitt Romney can contrary to conventional wisdom make it a winning issue and lay the foundation for a reform mandate when he wins.

Conservatism is a hard choice for a society that has become accustomed to big government and big entitlements promoted by liberals.

You have to take away some of tax breaks for the wealthy and you have to cut back on some entitlements. Because unless we do all of these things it just doesn't work. And what's good theater and what's good politics isn't necessarily good economic policy.

Julia progresses from cradle to grave showing how government makes every good thing in her life possible. The weak economy high unemployment falling wages rising gas prices the national debt the insolvency of entitlements - all these are fictionally assumed away in a cartoon that is produced by a president who wants us to forget about them.

The discussion in Washington has changed dramatically. I mean it's no longer a question of should we address entitlements - it's no longer a question of do we need to reduce spending in the future.

Our Founders warned against this. They said don't... that your liberty is only as secure as the people are. Because once they um get the ability to vote themselves entitlements from the largesse of the government liberty is done freedom is over with. We were warned. We are there.