Well, people are weighing in today one way and the other on this tax cut deal. I was prompted twice today to sign the Kos petition. I've signed several, but this one's not for me. Here's why.
First of all, the matter of most material importance is the extension of unemployment benefits. If we play games with that, families will suffer. I wasn't in the room negotiating, but I have no reason to believe Obama saw other options for passing this through. Is Obama exempt from being called a big pussy? I don't think so. If he were the powerful Hope and Change politician he claimed to be, I think he could have controlled this conversation. But that's not him.
Now, if we look at this from the standpoint of finances, the Dems really don't have a leg to stand on there. Spending of late has been insane, and no effort was made (with some exceptions with the HC legislation) to pay as we went. Bush is gone and Dems are in control of Congress; where's the tax to pay for these fucking wars? No tax. No discussion. The whole argument on taxes has been handed to the GOP. So, to turn now and get high and mighty about making fiscal sense, you'd have to be stone stupid to think rejecting this deal is consistent with Democratic fiscal policy. It isn't. Let's face it. I don't have a problem with deficit spending, but I think that's what the GOP is exploiting here. THEY are helping us ring up debt by cutting the flow of cash. The meme will eventually spread that we can't afford ANYTHING - Ala Grover Norquist.
So, in the end, I think Obama did a decent thing here. If I wanted it different, then I should have voted for someone else in the primary. He's doing what he always said he do - talk to both sides and compromise.
Why is anyone surprised?