What Obama is Doing

[babylonsister]

http://www.boomantribune.com/story/2012/12/31/143358/21

What Obama is Doing

by BooMan
Mon Dec 31st, 2012 at 02:33:58 PM EST


Perhaps the administration's best argument for the deal that is being floated is that John Boehner is too budgetarily-illiterate and politically inept to actually press any advantage on the debt ceiling.

snip//

Indeed, the Republicans are playing with fire if they threaten to default the country again, but that is triply true when you realize that they can't even craft a bill that would do what they say that they want to do and they are terrified of even trying to craft such a bill.

Goal number one (before the cliff) has always been to break the grip of the Norquist pledge, while the next most important goals were to help the economy by extending unemployment insurance and stimulative tax credits, and to (ideally) end the fuss about the debt ceiling. In the floated deal, most of this is accomplished. Although the debt ceiling remains a problem, the quoted bit above explains why they are not worried about it. Plus, there are (so far) no cuts beyond those included in the sequester. If they want money for the Pentagon, we can trade it for money for Head Start. This is the downside of not reaching a Grand Bargain. We will have to barter for everything we value in the federal budget, which means we can't be fully focused on immigration reform or assault weapons or addressing climate change.

The floated deal provides a LOT that we would not otherwise get, yet I am still not sure that the White House expects it to pass, and a big part of Obama's appearance this afternoon was about making the Republicans look especially bad and petty if they do not agree to a deal. Basically, the president said that a deal was almost done and that their were only minor, insignificant things left to resolve. He taunted Congress, calling them totally ineffectual and openly laughing at them. This led, inevitably, to a bunch of butt-hurt tweets from Republicans and Republican aides about how Obama was "moving the goalposts" and trying to "sabotage a deal." Yes, getting them to write those tweets was part of the plan to maximize how bad the GOP will look if they don't agree to a deal.

In other words, the president promised more than had been agreed to and dared the Republicans to blow up the talks. He can live with the deal he outlined, but he can live without it, too.

[jenmito]

1. K&R for another good, positive thread! n/t

[Historic NY]

2. Great little conference speech he had...

with common folks in the press room. Keep poking Mr. President...

[Cha]

3. thank you for Booman,

babylonsisah!

[gademocrat7]

4. K&R

[railsback]

5. Our President is very astute

Many on this board are having a really hard time accepting the inevitable outcome, but it all looks to me like the deal is a pretty decent one, considering the people across the isle hate you to no end.

[politicasista]

20. +1 n/t

Last edited Tue Jan 1, 2013, 01:11 AM - Edit history (1)

[southern_belle]

6. I'm so proud

of our President!

[underthematrix]

7. PBO's news conference was saying to the

GOP clowns "so how you like me now?"

[Tutonic]

8. Yep, agree with Booman. One other thing to remember folks

Our esteemed President is no dummy. He knew what his earlier remarks would do to the REthugs. And rest assured so did Joe Biden--they are a solid package. Joe Biden has not distanced himself from Obama. Therefore Biden must have determined that a deal was not worth having today and gotten word to the O man. The O man as Booman stated ain't got nothin to lose. Now both Mitchy and Boehner look like unreasonable fools.

[ReformedGOPer]

9. Our POTUS knows

what he's doing. The GOP are so incredibly stupid and are playing right into his hands.

[solara]

10. K&R for the great post!!

[ProudProgressiveNow]

11. K&R nt

[lillypaddle]

12. thanks

for this thread.

[CranialRectaLoopback]

13. Would you like some mustard with that pretzel?

[Lasher]

16. Hah!

Thanks, I needed the laugh.

[alfredo]

19. I think the logic is clear. I also think that forcing the Reps

To break with Norquist would be good for the Reps, and ultimately for the country. It doesn't mean they'd be for taxes, but it does mean they have the flexibility to act in times of crisis without fear of reprisals by Grover. Their loyalty should be to America, not to a vindictive little man.

[russspeakeasy]

14. Thanks for posting this.

[goclark]

15. I'm with you

A few Media peopl;e are saying, " he spoke too soon etc. etc. etc.

I say he is smart and his comments were not designed to make him appear "afraid of the idiots."


I'm with PBO!

[alfredo]

17. They don't know how to craft a bill because lobbyist and

Right wing think tanks write the bills for them.

[ladym55]

18. This was a breath of fresh air

Just finished listening to Li'l Luke Russert on MSNBC, saying things like "I'm hearing that Obama can't negotiate his way out of a paper bag" and "that's why they sent Biden over to the Hill." He also shared that raising taxes on incomes over $400,000 was a HUGE concession on the part of the Repukes. He blithered on about the need to cut spending and that things weren't over yet. The Rethugs would get Obama on the debt ceiling.

So after hearing that spoiled and poorly informed example of nepotism on the supposed "liberal" MSNBC, I needed a dose of reality.

There are days I just feel spun round and round.

[jenmito]

21. Ed Schulz is happy with this deal. He pointed out there are NO spending cuts in this deal. n/t

[xxxsdesdexxx]

22. Yeah just heard him say that on MSNBC

[musiclawyer]

23. I think POTUS thinks the house may fail

On this.
He wins either way