Negotiator Mouse has had a hard week.
So apparently there is a deal to extend the Bush tax cuts for two years for everyone. Including the geniuses on Wall Street who tanked the economy.
What does the Obama administration get out of this? An extension on unemployment benefits for another 13 months. In order to survive the mess that the guys on Wall Street created. Sadly, it looks like we will also be extending estate tax cuts, but in return the Obama tax cuts from the stimulus bill will be a payroll tax cut - or something, it's late.
Basically, Obama said, "I need to stimulate the economy and help the unemployed."
And McConnell replied, "Fine, but you'll need to give a shitload of money to the rich."
Obama: "Why?"
McConnell: "Because,"
Obama: "Motherf..."
The ironic thing is that this is a true compromise, in other words it's a big bag of suck. Michelle Bachmann has already said she opposes it because it deigns to help the unemployed. Bernie Sanders vows to filibuster it because it shovels money to the rich.
Obama seems to want to do the right thing by the unemployed and the middle class, but he can't. I still think he handled the negotiations incredibly poorly, but he had a poor hand anyway.
If, somehow, this compromise survives the congressional sausage factory, passes more or less intact and that allows the Senate to pass START and repeal DADT in the next few weeks... I guess that's as close to a win as we're likely to get for the next two years.
But it would be nice if a Democrat could be allowed to do the right thing without having to first do obeisance to the plutocrats.
Update: Money quote from Obama: “I am not willing to let working families across this country become collateral damage for political warfare here in Washington.”
Compassion is ultimately for suckers, it seems.
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