Why are Democrats whispering on the debt ceiling?

The Capitol building on Sept. 5, 2017. (Oliver Contreras for The Washington Post)

The Jan. 22 news article “White House debt ceiling strategy: Force GOP to blink” quoted an anonymous Democratic source who said, “We want to do the responsible thing, and they want to take the entire American economy hostage to cut Social Security and Medicare.”

Why is it a whisper by an anonymous source and not every Democrat shouting from the rooftops that these programs are being threatened by Republicans? Republicans shout their complaints — even mild ones — about Democrats. Democrats should not let Republicans destroy Social Security and Medicare.

Martin Walsh, Glendale, Mo.