MUFTIC FORUM BLOG

The Washington Post today via Ezra Klein has an interesting analysis of why Pres. Obama simply put the budget and plan on the table he introduced last summer as his opening salvo on the fiscal cliff negotiations.  "He is done negotiating with himself"...i.e. No longer will he be the one offering to compromise first, to propose large cuts in return for small tax increases.

Per Klein, what Obama has just done is to put the monkey on the GOP's back to come up with what and how they would do with entitlements and creating revenue.

My take:  It is part of the negotiating  game. The GOP is whining. It is time they  get serious themselves and stop acting like they won the last election. Sure they control the House, but that is not an indication of public will; it is an indication of the effectiveness of gerrymandering.  Thanks to redistricting post census, they are protected by district lines drawn to give them safe districts.  Polls show that if the fiscal cliff is not avoided, the GOP House will get the blame and in time, even their safe districts will no longer be safe. Public will was clearly stated in November per votes and exit polls: raise taxes on the rich and do not substitute current entitlements with vouchers.

We, our economy, have suffered enough.  Let's get on with it, Washington.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/wonkblog/wp/2012/11/29/obama-to-gop-i-wont-negotiate-with-myself/?hpid=z1