Hooray for Economic Honesty

To his great credit, Obama is going to be honest about the budget.

"After eight years of budget practices that often camouflaged federal spending, President Obama is planning a new strategy of putting on the books as many costs as possible to demonstrate the extent of the nation's economic troubles, senior White House officials say."
...
"The president is determined to treat the American people as adults"

This is partly political, since it exposes how bad off we are today, so that any improvements are more obvious and reflect well upon Obama. But it is refreshing honesty and necessity. Until Americans soberly understand the facts of where we are in deficits, borrowing, and entitlements, there will be little political will for change.

Obama's tentative calls for entitlement reform, combined with increased revenues from letting some of Bush's tax cuts lapse, seem a good direction to start. Just like it took Nixon to go to China, it will probably take a democrat to reform entitlements.