Presidential campaign has started

We may be a little less than 19 months away from the 2012 election, but the campaign has now begun thanks to Rep. Paul Ryan, R-Wisc., and his budget-cutting proposal.

His plan, now known as the Republican plan, doesn’t have a chance of becoming law this year because it can’t get past the Senate or the White House.
On Wednesday, President Barack Obama is going to outline his own long-term deficit-reduction plan, which is supposed to include cuts plus the ever-popular tax increases on the “rich.” This, also, has no chance of passing because it can’t get through the House.

The next big fight will be over whether to lift the nation’s debt ceiling in order to continue borrowing and paying for debts. Given what happened late last week with the 2011 budget, there is at least a chance both sides could agree on a way to do this.
But the Ryan and Obama long-term deficit plans still will be front-and-center when voters cast their ballots in 2012. Obama has announced his candidacy. Some believe Paul Ryan has given him a perfect foil against which to begin campaigning early.
Credit Ryan with moving the budget discussion into realms where it belongs. Serious deficit reduction will require serious cuts and changes. But unlike with smaller matters, the two sides aren’t likely to hammer out any compromises on long-term budget issues. They will let you, dear voters, do that.