[C]ongressional Republicans have demonstrated an extraordinary ability to demand deficit reductions while refusing to support the things -- like the Medicare spending reductions used to offset the cost of health care reform -- that would actually keep the deficit lower.... Most important, however, is that 2010 is not just an election year when cutting spending and increasing revenues would be unpopular no matter how big an issue the deficit might be. It's also an election year when gaining a political advantage by preventing the other side from claiming any type of legislative achievement on the budget, including one labeled bipartisan, will be considered by many to be preferable to governing. That makes a successful deficit reduction effort far less likely.
