Jonathan Alter put it right when he said Obama should have insisted on a one year

[WCGreen]

extension and then make the GOP vote before the election.

Now they will vote after the election, just like they spelled out tonight.

[KILL THE WISE ONE]

1. yup, is it a total lack of for-sight ? again

[Orsino]

2. The Republicans are counting on GOP majorities two years from now...

...and on being the ones who design the next tax cuts.

[bigtree]

3. let Congress propose that, if they think they have the votes

It doesn't make sense to imagine the WH didn't try and knock that down a year. Maybe the House will insist on it before they agree to move a bill.

[WhaTHellsgoingonhere]

4. Yep...

In thirteen months the Republicans will say, in exchange for privatizing SS, we will let you eat cake.

[panader0]

5. True

But the candidates will be running on their pro/con support of the tax break.
Perhaps that issue will be dirty by then.

[Davis_X_Machina]

6. Congress -- the Democratically controlled Congress --

refused to do precisely that, when the White House asked them to.

What's Obama supposed to do, dissolve Parliament and schedule new elections?

[FrenchieCat]

7. If only we were England......

But of course, we aren't.

[xultar]

8. No shit he set himself and all democrats up in 2012.

[Pryderi]

9. oops. I missed this thread. Any extension should it have been odd numbered.

[TexasObserver]

10. Three dimensional chess, my ass!

He's got no poker face. He shows his cards before he's supposed to, and he allows himself to be bluffed every hand.

I've never seen anything like it. He gives up ground needlessly.