I always enjoy Bob Samuelson, and today is no exception.

Sure. It's come to my attention that "entitlement" is a loaded term--and that by using it, Samuelson is pretty clearly locating himself on one side of a rip-roaring debate.

What's more interesting is that Samuelson is the first moderate columnist I've read to really come out swinging against Obama. Usually his pieces are measured, reasoned--but this criticism stings:

Obama is a great pretender. He repeatedly says he is doing things that he isn't, trusting his powerful rhetoric to obscure the difference. He has made "responsibility" a personal theme; the budget's cover line is "A New Era of Responsibility." He says the budget begins "making the tough choices necessary to restore fiscal discipline." It doesn't.

Sadly, I'm one of the dreamers who wishes responsibility would become reality. But, as Samuelson notes, what is the likelihood that the American public will reconcile its demands of the government with the services it is willing to pay for?

For another piece, comparing the economic crisis to the Depression--not Amity Shlaes style, mind you (thanks to commentary from TNR)--click here.