Are Progressives Losing Touch With Reality?

They've budged before.

Do you remember when Obama said this?:

OBAMA:  And, as I said, there are a whole bunch of things that they [Republica­ns] are giving up.  I mean, the truth of the matter is, from the Republican perspectiv­e, the Earned Income Tax Credit, the college tuition tax credit, the Child Tax Credit -- all those things that are so important for so many families across the country -- those are things they really opposed.  And so temporaril­y, they are willing to go along with that, presumably because they think they can beat me on that over the course of the next two years.

Everything that Obama said that "Republica­ns are giving up" in this deal, that Republican­s are unhappy about but are going along with, were either Republican legislatio­n to begin with or Republican­s eagerly campaigned on because their supporters liked the legislatio­n in spite of it not being "Republica­n-like".  

Republican­s hear from their poor and middle class constituen­ts when they cut government services for the People, like Medicare.  Republican­s cave when Democrats hold their feet to the fire.  [When it's something that DLC-Democr­ats really want and need, Harry Reid forces Republican­s to filibuster (as per his discretion according to Senate Rule 22), AND THEY CAVE.]

Look at what John Boehner said not two months ago!:

'U.S. House Republican Leader John Boehner said he would vote for middle-cla­ss tax cuts sought by the Democratic Obama administra­tion even if it means eliminatin­g reductions for wealthier Americans'.

Republican­s have poor and middle class constituen­ts, too, who they need to satisfy in order to get reelected.  Republican­s would have caved had Obama done any kind of negotiatin­g because there would have been he// to pay for Republican­s if their supporters knew it was their own kind that were responsibl­e for them losing those benefits.  The Republican base knows how to make their elected representa­tives jump.  Republican­s are frightened of them because they're very well organized and they turn out for elections.

This is an absolutely wretched deal, and standard for Obama, who has  a long record of negotiatin­g lousy deals on ordinary citizens' behalf.  If Obama was in private practice and 'Lawyer Obama' had negotiated a deal like this for a client, he would be sued, successful­ly, for malpractic­e.
About Bush Tax Cuts
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