Obama's Next Move

So, Obama is making a speech tomorrow.

Reports are divergent as to whether this speech will be an embrace of Bowles-Simpson, and embrace of part of Bowles-Simpson or a clarion call against the McKinleyite GOP/Ryan budget.

Needless to say, there is a lot of handwringing amongst the Left that Obama will capitulate to the Bowles-Simpson plan as a starting point and then move hard right.

Frankly, while I find the incessant whining about Obama on the Left to be annoying and counterproductive as hell, he has earned the dubiousness of the Left.  Staking out a bad position and then making it worse does seem to be a pattern.

But I've noticed that Obama has a way of creating terrible negative preconceptions on the Left before he does something, then he does something and everyone's kind of like, "Oh, is that it?"  The recent budget deal, for instance, was mostly the number Boehner wanted.  But apparently Obama shifted some funds around to protect what he wanted protected.  The budget still sucks, but it sucks less than it would have without Democrats holding the line.

Nevertheless, Obama needs to clearly and forcefully explain to the American people what the GOP budget plan does.  That Medicare and Medicaid need to be saved, not ended.  The same with Social Security.  That we have to raise taxes and cut defense spending.

I think I'll wait to see what Obama actually says before I throw up my hands and go all emo.