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