Take My Lunch Money, Please

Is the president giving the bully his lunch money before he's even asked for it? Or, by promising future concessions -- long beyond his tenure -- Obama could be playing a clever hand.

Luring Republicans to the negotiating table with a ten-year plan to cut trillions from the budget is either capitulation of his own party's principles or a devious ploy to gain GOP endorsement of higher taxes for the wealthy.

Either way, the fact remains that when presidents talk of big picture, long-range blueprints it usually means they are postponing the tough choices for their successors to resolve. Such is the nature of the president's push for dramatic entitlement reform.

My guess? Republicans will call his bluff and not agree to anything that doesn't force cuts here and now. They know better than to sign on to something that essentially delays closure for a later presidency.

In other words, the bullies want the lunch money now. They're not about to accept an IOU.

Craig blogs daily at craigcrawford.com

 

 

 

Follow Craig Crawford on Twitter: www.twitter.com/craig_crawford

Comments

[jhNY]

01:58 PM on 07/08/2011

Shorter version: Perhaps the president is being a clever negotiator, perhaps not. In any case,the Republicans want what they want and will take no less.

[Cleverboots]

11:26 AM on 07/08/2011

I just read that Obama will make the Bush tax cuts permanent in exchange for an empty plate from the Republicans. His constant bowing to the bullies should cost him the election in 2012 and it just might.

[Tom Wootton]

10:34 AM on 07/08/2011

Hopefully Republicans will remember how many times they've been duped into raising taxes now in exchange for future spending cuts that never seem to materialize. Republicans aren't bullies; they're Charlie Brown, and Lucy is about to snatch the ball away again.

[jhNY]

01:58 PM on 07/08/2011

When did that happen last?