It doesn't seem like America's path towards deficit reduction will include Rep. Paul Ryan's plan to privatize and voucherize Medicare anymore, friends. Why? Because President Obama was such a jerk about it.

The House vote on Paul Ryan's "Path to Prosperity" a few weeks ago won the support of all but four Republicans, who then went home and had a difficult time selling it to their constituents. So this week, Rep. Dave Camp, chair of the powerful House Ways and Means Committee, said of the deal, "I'm not interested in talking about whether the House is going to pass a bill that the Senate shows no interest in." And as the Washington Post reported on comments from House Majority Leader Eric Cantor two days ago, "Republicans recognize they may need to look elsewhere to achieve consensus after President Obama 'excoriated us' for a proposal to privatize Medicare."

Forty-eight wisecracking Senate Democrats then sent a letter to Cantor yesterday, saying "I urge you to maintain the position you took yesterday as reported by The Washington Post."

So, that's that. Democrats have most likely killed the most dramatic aspect of the "Path to Prosperity." Not that it ever had a chance, really. We just wanted another excuse to post the Paul Ryan Sad Face photo.

[Image via AP]