President Still Not Willing To Go After GOP In Cliff Issue ----

[TheMastersNemesis]

Obama is still making the same mistake he made before 2010. In saying that "Congress" is not doing its job and NOT singling out the GOP position he is undercutting Democrats by implying that the "cliff" crisis is a bipartisan problem the Democrats are just as responsible for. He played the same game before 2010 and the Democrats got shellacked.

Obama simply cannot do what FDR did and smack the GOP in the face with a political 2 by 4. This strategy gives the GOP cover. And the idea that you have to act bipartisan just gives them cover. Such a strategy allows the GOP to push the Democrats into accepting polices like the "chained CPI".

To think that if you act nice they will cooperate has not work and will not work. You have to be willing to paint them into a corner and just take their heads of politically. Otherwise we will see nothing done for another 2 years and they will win seats back.

[k8conant]

1. That's the truth...

I wish Obama would play hardball with the likes of Boehner.

[Angry Dragon]

2. chained CPI has NOTHING to do with the deficit

[AnotherMcIntosh]

3. If Obama didn't want to give the GOP cover this way, he wouldn't do so.

[gulliver]

4. It's up to us, lower-level pols, and the media to smack Republicans with a 2 by 4 right now.

If Obama did it prior to the cliff, the Republicans would say it was proof that he was not negotiating in good faith. It would only backfire. He's just going to keep saying "the pen is ready" and "we can get this done". Everyone knows the wacko Tea Party Republican House is still screwing up the country with their crazy absolutism and their obedience to Grover Norquist.

[flamingdem]

5. The polls show that Americans, the low info kind especially, want congress to work together

and so the optics must be that Obama is trying to do just that.

If you're really following this you know that the polls are now showing that people are blaming the Repukes.

[coalition_unwilling]

6. While I understand and respect Obama's desire to appear "above the fray," as

it were, I too wish he would start swinging the 2x4 on Boner, McChinless and their associated rogues and charlatans. I think the awareness is finally breaking in on Americans that Rape-publi-scum only care about the interests of the top 1%. As such, then, Obama may not need not really go after them full tilt. But I wish he would.

[The Second Stone]

7. What he is doing is working from my point of view

The republicans are getting the blame and the Bush tax cuts that have destroyed our economy and threaten our future are still going to die.