President Obama's simple observation that if House Republicans refuse to raise the debt ceiling, he won't be able to guarantee that he can write Social Security payment checks come Aug. 3.

He's fearmongering! Scaring old people! How disgraceful!

This, of course, from the people who brought you "death panels."

Moreover, it's coming from the same people who then turn around and try to make seniors fearful that Obama is going to take away their Medicare coverage.

The apotheosis of this miscreancy was Lou Dobbs on Bill O'Reilly's show last night, unleashing a relentlessly vicious assessment of every Obama step, culminating in his complaint that Obama's remarks were "so low as to be contemptible" and indeed were "beneath contempt".

Of course, Lou Dobbs knows "beneath contempt": That pretty aptly describes his such a good fit at Fox News.

It's doubtful, though, that Dobbs can recognize it when he sees it.