Now that the president has signaled yet another collapse in agreeing to tax cuts for the rich, there is a hidden cost to this capitulation. He is now stuck defending this deal for the rest of his term. I predicted this on the show yesterday and today it's playing out exactly the way I imagined, with the president sending out advisers to talk about what a great idea it is to give tax cuts to the rich.
Once you sign off on a political position, you own it. This could be a corollary to Colin Powell's doctrine on foreign policy. Powell said if you break it, you own it. In this case, if you make it, you own it.
The president claims he will fight hard against these same tax cuts two years from now. It's hard to stop laughing long enough to make a point against that, but I will try. If you are sending out your people to talk up polls about how right the Republicans were on the tax cuts for the rich now, how are you going to send out the same people to talk about how wrong they were - and how wrong you were - two years from now?
These are the things that make me wonder if President Obama has a firm grasp on basic political fundamentals. Yesterday he said that the political reality is that he just didn't have the votes in the Senate (by far his favorite excuse). He even said "I can't win" in the Senate. That's a damning reversal for a man who ran on "Yes we can."
But more importantly, he doesn't seem to understand Politics 101. You don't just count the votes based on how the other side says they're going to vote. From time to time, you call their bluff. Which means you go to the home states of swing senators like Scott Brown in Massachusetts and Olympia Snowe in Maine and you campaign on this winning issue there until you make them feel the political pain. Then you put them to a decision -- do you want to risk your career voting against me on this issue where I have huge popular support or do you want to vote with me? Then you take the vote and they will bend. If he doesn't understand that, boy did we elect the wrong guy.
Of course, the alternative is that he does understand that but doesn't ever have the stomach for a real fight. Or even worse yet, secretly likes this deal and will always find an excuse to get more tax cuts and sweet deals for the rich and powerful. In which case, boy did we elect the wrong guy.
Follow Cenk Uygur on Twitter: www.twitter.com/TheYoungTurks
HuffPost TV: Arianna: Tax Cut Deal A 'Complete Capitulation,' Not A 'Compromise' (VIDEO)
There is no "deal" at present that makes it go away.
Simply, Obama and Republican leaders cannot be reached. They don't care.
Call your senators and reps --
We have to urge honest Democrats and honest Republicans to stand against both.
Time to reach across to Tea Party people who at least believe in saving our country.
I am for personal and private funding for people "held hostage" by this atrocity while we prepare for an extended standoff.
It won't go away,
we have no more time.
We have no choice.
But if Obama is running in the general election against a Sarah Palin, Newt Gingrich, or Jan Brewer (read the huffpo article about 'Brewercare'), I'll hold my nose and vote for Obama.
The stakes are too high.
Moscow Moo. darlin your singing to the chior!!! i am with you 100% i was callin him a low down yalla belli. its the cowboy(cowgirl) drawl that still pops out. hes more messed up than a snake in a lawnmower so glad the dems are giving him a hell no.
what the American people wanted you too do! Well, here is the headlines after January1: Obama doesn't have any compassion, he took his family on vacation for Xmas, while millions of Americans are facing eviction, freezing to death and higher taxes,now there are 4 million Americans not receiving any type of funding! I can just imagine the bloggers: gutless, shameful, if we send money to other countries and we can't help our own! Tar and feather the man!
Number two: there's no reason for Obama to agree to take ownership of Republican obstruction (e.g. blocking unemployment extensions). They are responsible for their own behavior. Obama's two choices are to either fight them and call them out on it to the American people, or embrace their ideas. Unfortunately, he chose the latter.
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And now we have Obama, who spent two years ignoring Republicans, now deciding to throw in the towel on tax cuts before the opening bell rings. If the president of the United States really believes that he is in such a weak position that he cannot stand up to a party that wants to give tax cuts to millionaires while cutting benefits for unemployed families at Christmastime, I fear not only for the Democratic Party but also for America.
- Joe Scarborough
http://www.politico.com/news/stories/1210/46035.html
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And now I wish with all my heart for a primary contender in 2012. I will take that person's sign, put it over top of the Obama blue sign, and put it in my yard. Then I will open the wallet and will take the time to make phone calls for the challenger.
Who will it be?!?!
Dean/Feingold 2012
Yes We Can = Awww gee, the Senate just won't go for it.
Change = SAME
Changing the way things are done in Washington = Oh, Hi Wall Street, what can I do for you today.
It turns out he is fairly good at standing up to liberals. What an obscenity. We can't afford the luxury of keeping him.
That said, when is MSNBC going to give you your own show?
Health insurance reform. Wall Street reform. Ending Bush's wars. Ending DADT. Reinstating habeas corpus. New tax rates. How many more examples are necessary to establish the fact that the man is a Blue Dog, watering down important reforms and dragging his feet on everything else?
Obama needs to be replaced on the Democratic ticket in 2012 or our President will be either the Republican nominee or--just as bad for progress--a charming, intelligent, well-educated Blue Dog.
DEAN and GRAYSON in 2012! (Or some ticket very much like that.)
Just because the Good Guys lost ground this November is far from the end of the matter. One battle doesn't decide the outcome of an entire war--as George Washington well knew.
GOOD article, Mr. Uygur, I agree with you and like your articulation of the issue here.