Some of Paul Ryan’s biggest fans are disappointed in his latest budget.

Take New York Times columnist Ross Douthat. He credits Ryan, the Republican House Budget Committee chairman, for trying to give Medicare recipients the power and the incentive to make health spending more efficient and getting his party to take up this reform. He also credits Ryan for revising his Medicare plan between 2011 and 2012 to respond to the smartest criticisms. But Douthat says the 2013 version of the budget is “a step backward” – and I’m inclined to agree.

My own list of the pros and cons is slightly different from Douthat’s. I would have preferred Republicans rein in the growth of Social Security, especially for people with high lifetime earnings. That way younger and poorer Americans would bear less of the burden of budgetary restraint.