Hanging Up the Gloves before the Fight

It looks like our president hung up the gloves before the fight...


Just prior to the November election, President Obama told the nation that he would fight the Republican attempt to renew the Bush tax cuts.  The President wanted to negotiate with the Republicans so that the whatever tax breaks would accrue to the middle class would remain and the tax reductions for people who made over a quarter of a million dollars a year would expire.

With a lame duck Congress who can only remain in session with a majority of Democrats until December 31st, it was imperative that negotiations for the middle class tax break, the repeal of Don't Ask, Don't Tell, and the extension of unemployment benefits go through the legislative process quickly.

The Democratic Agenda was simple:

• Renew the Bush Tax cuts with the exception of the tax cuts on the upper two percent of tax payers.
• Extend unemployment benefits for those looking for work suffering through the worst recession on record.
• Repeal the unconstitutional Don't Ask, Don't Tell policy which trampled the first amendment rights of gays in the military.

This seemed like a simple agenda.  Tax cuts for the rich would be eliminated, thereby giving the government extra revenue in a time of budget and debt crisis, an issue that most of the country vocally supported.  The majority of American also supported extension of the unemployment benefits and the repeal of Don't Ask, Don't Tell.

Obviously, the Republicans weren't listening to their constituents. They were stubbornly holding to the position that nothing would get passed unless the rich got their tax cuts, in effect, holding 98% of the country hostage for the top 2% of taxpayers.  

Enter the hero, the Yes We Can man.  President Obama went into "tough" negotiations with the Republican Leadership.  (Please remember, dear reader, the Republicans are the MINORITY party until December 31st. We came out of these negotiations with the rich getting their tax cut, Don't Ask, Don't Tell voted down despite the fact that there were more votes in favor than against and the unemployment money in limbo.  Why, you ask?

Without consulting the leaders of his own party, or the mood of the citizenry, President Obama decided to do away with the messy fight that was sure to ensue if he stood firm, and hung up his blue gloves.  The President caved.  He avoided the fight and now finds himself in the unenviable position of being in a fight for his political life with his own party who feel betrayed and the citizens who feel duped -- yet again.

Personally, I'd rather there be no tax cuts for anyone than see another victory in the series of victories we keep handing the Republican Party and their rich cronies.  And if the Republicans try to pass a rich man's tax cut in January, President Obama should veto it.  But that is not what's happening.  I remember a cartoon from when I was a kid, the character asked "What are you, a man or a mouse..." The answer, I'm afraid is mouse.