Breaking: Elizabeth Edwards has died at 61I know, I know. Relax. This is all part of a plan. And if it’s a plan to throw Obama’s base into a tizzy, it’s working. This deal is completely bipartisan, at least in the sense that it makes Obama’s supporters as mad at Obama as they are at Republicans. Remember, the Republicans didn’t get everything they wanted in this deal. But then the Republicans want everything.
The White House says this is part of a deliberate strategy to demonstrate Obama’s ability to compromise with Republicans. The plan is to portray the president as the last reasonable man in a sharply divided Washington. But if Obama’s twin goals are to find agreement with Republicans and to look reasonable, is it even possible to agree with Republicans and look reasonable at the same time?
You have to remember, the fight between Obama and Republicans is kind of like a fight between a guy driving a car and the person in the passenger seat. And despite what they think, the Republicans are not the ones in the driver’s seat. Obama is, and he has to keep the car on the road while the lunatic in the passenger seat is attacking him. President Obama still has to worry about running the country. All the Republicans have to worry about is ruining the country. At least in one sense we’re on the same page. Obama is trying to make the best of a bad situation. And Republicans are trying to make a bad situation.
If you have any doubts that there are some very good things about this deal, just consider this—Michele Bachmann hates it. So it this is a bad deal, it’s not bad enough for Michele Bachmann. Michele doesn’t want her tax cuts for the rich tied to an extension of jobless benefits. It’s kind of like saying that they refuse to give the rich a feast if there’s a chance that the poor will be able to gather a few crumbs from the table. Is it any surprise that Michele Bachmann refuses to make concessions? This is a woman who refuses to make concessions to reality.
The bottom line is that there are a lot of things in this deal that are good for the economy. It’s better than nothing. And believe me, the Republicans would much prefer nothing. At least this is something.
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President Obama announces the tax cut/unemployment benefits compromise last night…
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