The After Effect

I haven't yet heard or read President Obama's "defiant defense" of his skewed and terrible tax cut deal with Republicans. So my opinion could conceivably change after watching him speak. But I've been following a little of the coverage, and none of it is good. I have yet to see a backing of the President by anyone that really matters in Washington. The possibility of the deal being rejected in either house is exciting, but also fraught with booby-trapped disasters for the 2012 reelection fight. I don't want Obama to fail or look weak, but I just can't support this proposal. It's terrible.

Why do the rich get two years of budget-busting tax cuts while the unemployment insurance scheme is only renewed for 13 months? It's such a lopsided deal. I understand that tax cuts need to be given or taken away in yearlong increments, but if unemployment expires in January 2012, in the depths of primary season, why would any Republican agree to any extension at all? It's going to be a disaster for Obama from Jan. 12 - Election Day.

Further, while Jeff commented in yesterday's post about the total breakdown of the Democratic party's messaging, and that I shouldn't only blame the President and his team, he's right. But the President is the leader of that team and this was an epic fail of leadership. It's kind of part and parcel with his legislative success and failure so far. I know he can't get what he wants simply because he wants it, and there is inherent risk in mimicking Bush and his steamroller, but Obama seems content to say he wants, say, a healthcare bill, and then he sits back for nine months without framing the issue at all as what is acceptable to him and then we get a crap sandwich, to paraphrase Boehner. Now, the result was certainly better than the absence of a bill, but think of what it could have been. Republicans were never going to support anything and prove that every day of the week. Assuming he could have massaged Lieberman and Ben Nelson earlier and more often, perhaps we could have gotten an even more effective, more progressive bill. They're going to rail and campaign against it anyway, so let's get as much as we can. Instead, concessions were given every time Republicans showed up and said hello. It's incredibly frustrating and counterproductive.

We'll see what happens next, with Republicans and Democrats both railing against the deal. But do they have the votes to stop it?