Testy Obama fires back at Democrats over tax deal

Reuters on Yahoo ^ | 12/7/10 | Steve Holland and Patricia Zengerle

[NormsRevenge]

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – A testy President Barack Obama on Tuesday expressed frustration at his own Democrats for attacking him over his tax-cut deal with Republicans, who he called uncompromising "hostage takers."

Obama found himself in an unusual position a day after sealing a major tax-cut agreement -- praised by Republican opponents and denounced by liberal Democrats who felt he violated a pledge that helped get him elected in 2008.

Liberals accused him of caving to Republican demands by agreeing to extend all the Bush-era tax cuts, even those for wealthier Americans, instead of their preference for limiting the tax cuts to families making less than $250,000 a year.

Obama's tax-cut deal could be seen as a move toward the political center after November 2 elections in which Democrats suffered huge losses.

He said he could have spent months arguing the Democrats' position but that it would have risked further damage to the economy.

Obama leveled some of his toughest criticism to date at the left wing of the Democratic Party, saying his critics were taking a "sanctimonious" position that would not have helped solve problems.

His voice rose and he sounded exasperated when he said if he had refused to compromise, "People will have the satisfaction of having a purist position and no victories for the American people."

The country was founded on the principle of compromise, Obama said, and he singled out one leading critic, The New York Times editorial page, saying "The New York Times editorial page does not permeate across all of America. Neither does the Wall Street Journal editorial page."

[Post Toasties]

The whackjobs are talking about running Kucinich, Grayson or Dean in 2012. I sincerely hope they get their wish.

[Post Toasties]

The whackjobs are talking about running Kucinich, Grayson or Dean in 2012. I sincerely hope they get their wish.