This week, Senate Democrats are set to unveil their first budget proposal in four years. The big question is whether they’re going to get serious in addressing the nation’s debt problem, or if they’ll again obfuscate the issue in hopes of gaining political advantage by attacking the Republican proposal by House Budget Committee Chair Rep. Paul Ryan.

For years, Democrats have been protecting entitlement programs led by Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid from any serious reforms while advocating tax hikes on wealthier Americans. The inherent problem with this approach comes  down to math. Though Republican budgets have acknowledged that major reforms of Medicare are needed to address the nation’s long-term fiscal imbalance if taxes are to remain at historical levels, Democrats have refused to admit that making their vision of a generous welfare state remotely sustainable would require massive middle class tax hikes.