democrat. according to widespread reports, officials talked about raising the medicare eligibility age, cutting social security by changing the inflation index, freezing domestic discretionary spending, and offering to preempt the end of the bush tax cuts in exchange for a broad tax reform process. and why will republicans miss this opportunity? because of who brooks calls the "gods of the new dawn." they are the beltway band its, interest groups adept as arousing elderly donors and attracting rich lobbying contracts. for example, grover norquist of americans for tax reform. brooks calls him the zelig of republican catastrophe. there are also the blow hards, presumably a reference to rush limbaugh.