Thomas Geoghegan in his article Get Radical: Raise Social Security gives us the kind of thinking that we need in our politics.

Right now Social Security pays out 39 percent of the average worker’s preretirement earnings. While jaws may drop inside the Beltway, we could raise that to 50 percent. We’d still be near the bottom of the league of the world’s richest countries — but at least it would be a basement with some food and air. We have elderly people living on less than $10,000 a year. Is that what Democrats want to “save”?

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A bigger pension — a raise in Social Security benefits — is the stimulus this demoralized country needs. Come on, Democrats: think of F.D.R., Robert Wagner, or heck, even Lyndon B. Johnson. Let’s ask ourselves: Who are we for?

At the very least, this is the kind of bargaining position from which the Democrats need to start.  Instead of conceding the point to the other side and then starting negotiations, progressives need to decide where they want to end up and start way to the left of that point.

As it is now, the radical right must be thrilled.  They start way to the right of where they think they can get and somehow end up pretty close to that starting point.  The other side just caves because of a lack of ideas and skill.