By now, no one should be surprised that President Barack Obama is trying and trying and trying to appease the Republicans who so despise him by offering them everything including cuts to Medicare and Social Security benefits, but the lack of surprise doesn't stop the sting. President Obama will release a budget next week that proposes significant cuts to Medicare and Social Security and fewer tax hikes than in the past, a conciliatory approach that he hopes will convince Republicans to sign onto a grand bargain that would curb government borrowing and replace deep spending cuts that took effect March 1. Obama will break [...]