First off, the catfood commission won’t make a full report until December 1, and the bits that have been released are ideas that have been promulgated by its two chairs, Bowles and Simpson. These ideas don’t have the support of many of the committee members, and many of them probably won’t get enough votes by the full commission to make it into the final report.
There are an awful lot of Democrats, notably Nancy Pelosi, who are dead-set against the idea of cutting Social Security and lowering taxes for people who don’t need the money. The chances of these proposals clearing Congress are negligible. They will not even be taken up in committee before 2011, and the Republicans will be too busy trying to repeal HCR and conducting witch hunts to be bothered with any kind of new legislation.
It is thus completely premature to be talking about a primary challenge for Obama based on anything coming out of the catfood commission. This doesn’t mean the left are particularly happy with him. The administration’s aggressive defense of DADT, back-pedaling on a withdrawal date from Afghanistan, and empty posturing on the Bush tax cuts have given his critics on the left plenty to be angry about. If Obama is to avert a primary challenge, he’s going to have to start fighting harder. We should know by the end of this year if he intends to do that.