“It’s tempting not to negotiate with hostage takers —

[guruoo]

unless the hostage gets harmed. Then, people will question the wisdom of that strategy.
In this case, the hostage was the American people, and I was not willing to see them get harmed.”

http://www.knoxnews.com/news/2010/dec/07/obama-defends-tax-deal/

[DrDan]

1. words - just more words - not to be confused with action

[eleny]

2. When you don't even try in the first place it's hard to accept his prediction

[Moondog]

3. As with most politicians, it is probably more realistic to consider what he does over what he says.

[frylock]

4. not as catchy as "change you can believe in"

certainly not going to looks as good on a bumpersticker.

[JVS]

5. The problem is that we are in a lose-lose situation.

If unemployment gets cut, that is bad. But by cutting taxes you decrease revenue which gives the deficit hawks the ammunition to go after other programs for the poor.

[Gin]

6. 13 months is gonna go fast...then what? it's delaying the inevitable

we will be having these same fights next year...nothing got resolved...it was kicked down the road...

[JVS]

7. It was kicked down the road in a fashion that puts us in worse position next time

[BrklynLiberal]

8. I concur with every poster before me on this thread...

It might have been wise to avoid the hostage taking situation in the first place. Pre-empt it with some proactive work to get the unemployment and tax cut legislation done BEFORE THE MIDTERMS!

What a concept..Why wait until the front wheels are already over the edge of the cliff to apply the brakes??

[Poboy]

9. The liar sets up a straw man. He is the one who played it this way. I could have been very different

The man thinks we are idiots.