Ken Berwitz

President Obama last night: 

-We must have a balanced budget (according to Charles Krauthammer, the word was tested by Obama's research people and found appealing to independents);

-The problems were primarily caused by George Bush (after over 2 1/2 years in office, virtually all of it with his "stimulus package" in place, it is still somehow not his responsibility);

-We have to increase the taxes on rich people yada yada, corporate jets yada yada fair share yada yada (if every "rich person" was taxed as much as Mr. Obama could realistically expect to hit them with, it would barely put a dent in the deficit - but might get a number of them to move their enterprises, maybe their permanent residence, outside the country - which would mean losing all their taxes);

-We risk default (there is money to avert default);

-Seniors should be worried about their social security (the same President Obama has told us social security is solvent for years and years to come);

-And I won't accept a 6 month solution (which would give congress plenty of time to work out something both sides could live with).

This is LEADERSHIP?  This is a crock of BS, straight from the backroom of a Chicago ward.

Here's a simple equation for you:  If Mr. Obama's poll numbers bounce upward after this cynical assault on the intelligence of voters, he will hold firm.  If they barely move or move downward, he will cave in, accept what he can get, and whine that anything bad which happens afterwards is congress's fault - most specifically, the Republican house.  Not his. 

Nothing is ever Barack Obama's fault.

Oh, by the way, the New York Times loved what he said and thinks the problem begins and ends at those dastardly Republicans.  Read today's editorial and see. 

I especially like the part where the Times says "They have largely succeeded in their campaign to ransom America’s economy for the biggest spending cuts in a generation."  Funny, I thought that spending cuts - as a means of averting absolutely unsustainable deficits - was a way to save the economy.  But not in the Times' ivory tower....