re: #122 Gus 802

This whole escapade hasn’t been entirely good for Obama for the simple reason that he didn’t get all of the programs he desired passed in congress. He would have preferred a one year extension on the payroll tax cuts. I’m trying to figure out how it could be bad for Boenher to help push through a two month extension for these same payroll tax-cuts. My guess is that his constituency will be happy to see those continuing. In any case once congress reconvenes the president still had a lot of work cut out for him. Because along with the short two month tax cut extension came another short-term solution for extending unemployment benefits. Short of full cooperation Boehner did the right thing here however small the concession.

Its not that the tea partiers don’t want the tax cut, it is that they put principle way above pragmatism. They aren’t interested in any form of horse trading whatsoever. They are essentially like children. Their way or the highway. The GOP likes to present a united front, but the Democrats were successful in driving a wedge between them. The democrats would not give the tea partiers everything they demanded, so tea partiers were going to hold working people hostage. Boehner was smart enough to know that the GOP would get punished for it. Now the GOP will fight amongst themselves. And this will play out again in the next 60 days when they have to solve the problem again. In the end they will capitulate as they did this time. They can’t afford not to.