Much as we all enjoyed seeing Obama take on a tougher tone with Republicans tonight, he once again made the fatal flaw of making an opening bid that's what we would hope to get as a final compromise AT THE END of negotiations with Republicans. Perhaps he did it this time counting on Republicans not to work with him, but if the Republicans call his bluff, this will end up being Act Three of Republicans using Obama as a rug this very year.
If I was advising House Republicans, I'd tell them to keep a smile on their face and not dismiss anything the President put forward. By doing so, they'll look reasonable to the public and can call for "just a little compromise" at which point they can draw endless lines in the sand about no tax increases on the wealthy and not passing any extension of unemployment benefits.
And what does the President have left to sign when the bill ultimately gets through the House and which he effectively has to support since it was his speech that launched the legislation? Tax cuts, tax cuts, tax cuts, and more tax cuts.....none of which will do shit for the economy but will enable Republicans to howl about the deficits that will grow because of these very tax cuts.
Perhaps I'm more cynical than I need to be here. And perhaps the Tea Party will be unable to muster up the brains to hand Obama a poison pill by more savvy Republican operatives. But I nonetheless see the early stages of yet another Congressional trampling of the President.