Do You Think President Obama Outsmarted The Republican(t)s During The Lame Duck Session

[DemocratSinceBirth]

[lamp_shade]

1. Hell Yes.

[FreakinDJ]

2. Just wait until they start talking "Cuts in SSI Benefits"

I just hope the Dems are smart enough to stay off that bandwagon

[Clio the Leo]

3. And the GOP wasn't the only group he outsmarted. nt

[Champion Jack]

7. LOL! +1000

[Skink]

4. He became one of them.

his new base for reelection.

[bread_and_roses]

5. ROFL - oh, sure! The Oligarchs got their hooks into Social Security -

- the pot they've been slavering over for years - and anyone thinks O "outsmarted" them?

[DemocratSinceBirth]

6. Just About Everybody But The Checkers Players And Those That Think They Are Playing Chess But Aren't

.

[mikekohr]

22. +1

[rug]

8. The wealthy shield their private wealth from public taxes.

The public benefits come from public funds.

Meanwhile, the massive war appropriations, ultimately contracted to private corporations, sailed through. (No need to add up the casualties here.)

Who do you think won?

[Dawgs]

9. How? The only thing Democrats got was DADT.

Everything else, including unemployment insurance, would have been passed without some "outsmarting" by Obama. And even DADT was supported by a small number of Republicans.

Republicans are happy this Christmas, and many on the left think that it was some big win for Obama.

It's just sad.

[Aramchek]

17. how can you say that when Unemployment Isurance has dropped twice in the last year due to Repukes

you are basing your stance on a pipe dream of what would have been.
why don't you deal with the facts?

[AtomicKitten]

18. It is against their interests to give this president credit for anything.

It's dishonest politics but quite compatible with the agenda of some.

[jeanpalmer]

20. It wasn't dropped because of Repukes

It was dropped because Dems didn't have the spine to stand up and fight for it. It was a political slam dunk for them, but they chose to cower to the Repukes. In the time period leading up to the UI expiration in June, the Dems failed to push for an extension because they/Obama miscalculated that the economy was in full recovery. A month later when it appeared the economy was sinking into a double dip, they took up the cause again.

Obama's tax cut deal failed to extend benefits for those unemployed for >2 years without a fight, instead giving tax cuts to the wealthy. A most despicable act for someone posing as a Democrat.

[Tippy]

10. It is sure looking like he out smarted them ....

What ever it was I hope he continues....

[NV Whino]

11. Um, let's see...

The GOP got the cake and we got the crumbs. Wait, wait, I have to think about this a bit.

[Lucinda]

12. Nope.

[niceypoo]

13. I think the republicans folded at the slightest resistance

Which they would have done all along. Their whole resistance to everything is pure bluster. All you have to do is stand up to them, on anything, in the slightest, and they will give up every time.

[nmbluesky]

14. Hell yes We can

[Raine]

15. No, they outsmarted him. The GOP got the goldmine and

the rest of us got the shaft. :argh:

[Tom Rinaldo]

16. No, though he probably did better than they expected him to do.

Republicans won important strategic long term political goals, and for the most part they only had to release hostagges in order to win them. Most of what Republicans "gave up" essentially were issues that in previous decades would have been considered non partisan though impportant. The START Treaty is a good example of that; extension of unemployment benefits with unemployment holding at over 9% is another example of that In other words Republicans bartered away political deals that in prior years never would have been part of horse trading.

Ending Don't Ask, Don't Tell was a real Democratic victory, but Republicans were trading away a position that had an approaching expiration date anyway. It would not have been repealed this or next year without the horse trading, but each year public support for ending Don't Ask Don't Tell has been growing and Repuboicans know it. In two to four years it no longer would have held any hostage value to them and would have been a political embarrassment to keep opposing.

Democrats got middle class tax cuts but Republicans wanted those also ALONG WITH upper class tax cuts of course. And Republicans got a sweet deal on Capital Gains taxes AND weakened Social Security with the "payroll tax holiday". Democrats got to take steps to improve the short term economy but again, Republicans in prior years would not have held the economy hostage to gain political ground and this year they were able to.

What Republicans got that really really matters is hard core validation of their ideological approach to essentially all economic issues; lower taxes and a freeze on spending (except on war) that will likely lead to irresistable pressure to significantly cut government spending and a speeding up of the shrink government and privatize everything movement.

[quakerboy]

19. Other

Time will tell.


I do find it interesting that when Obama puts his will toward it, he can get a lot accomplished. Despite the many "supporters" who told us for 2 years straight "He has no power over legislation, he can't do it". He has now proven that he CAN do it when he decides to. Which leaves the most relevant question, what will he do next?

[impik]

21. He drank their milkshake and ate their lunch

Only his hatres can't see or admit it.