Half measures?

A draft of the deficit commission's report has been released. Their approach looks rather modest, just tweaking around the edges of current policies.  Some adjustments to Social Security, including raising the retirement age to 68 by 2050.  If they were really serious they'd raise it to 68 next year.  Well, maybe by 2020. The mortgage interest deduction would be limited to $500,000 of value, but not eliminated. That would cover most of the homes in the red states, not in the blue states.  Hasn't that deduction outlived its usefulness?  The deduction for state and local taxes would be eliminated.  At least the AMT would finally be eliminated. That provision outlived its usefulness a decade ago.

I was hoping for more. When all the politicians are patting themselves on the back for being so brave in making the proposals, I immediately get suspicious.