So, I think this Harry Reid guy gets it. Consider:

"Social Security, however, does face long term challenges. According to the Congressional Budget Office, it will be able to pay only 80 percent of promised benefits starting in about 50 years. That's far from a crisis, but it is a problem that should be addressed. Like most Democrats, I want to work with the President to strengthen and improve Social Security. However, I want to make sure we do it right.

I pulled this from democrats.gov, the new web home of Senate Democrats. I'm a little cranky about the existence of the site, as I put in an application to work on it and was summarily rejected, but I can't deny that it's very well done and the content is really starting to hit the right notes.

In particular, the American Promise - a unified and aggressive Democratic agenda for the coming Congress not so different from the Contract with America - is particularly satisfying. It is largely based on the communications tactics advanced by George Lakoff who argues that how about politics is a lot more important than what we say. Specifically, he suggests Republicans have controlled political discourse by selling a "strict father" frame of reference where power is the ultimate political currency.

Alternatively, Lakoff suggests that Democrats naturally embrace a "nurturing family" frame where sharing is the dominant value. But we've done a piss-poor job of learning how to talk about those values. The American Promise, however, nails it:

It is the promise of security, that the American way of life and our freedom will be protected by using all the tools to take the fight to the terrorists and standing with those who have served.  It is the promise of opportunity so that every American can get the education they need to compete in the 21st century; live in an economy with well paying jobs and high quality health care; and participate in our democracy. Keeping the promise of America also means meeting our responsibilities both to future and past generations by providing our seniors what they have spent a lifetime working for; acting responsibly with taxpayer’s dollars and with our children’s future by restoring fiscal discipline; and enabling women to take responsibility for their health.  It is these values that will continue to guide the Democratic agenda as this Congress moves forward.

One thing that the American Promise does lack, however, is the forward-thinking alternative plan for Social Security that Reid suggests in his quote. This will continue to make my friend Heather very angry.