Privately open

David Brooks and E.J. Dionne were doing their regular Punch 'n Judy routine on NPR this afternoon, discussing the preznit's campaign to destroy the retirement options for millions...er..."reforming" Social Security. Dionne complained that the administration was not giving Democrats a real plan to respond to, or ways to actually shore up the program's finances through such things as raising the income cap, reducing benefits, and -- horrors -- raising the payroll tax, Brooksie replied as only Brooksie can:

"They've actually been pretty open, at least in private."