You nailed it. FISCAL RESPONSIBILITY
Tactically, republicans had no reason to make a deal with Obama. We had ALL the cards. Obama would have had to completely fold next month. Would he really veto a republican tax bill and as a result raise everyone’s taxes?
I think the only reason the republican leadership made a deal with Obama NOW is so that they won’t have to face the new Tea Party congress with this issue later.
They still may get their chance. I'd be suprised if the lame duck democrats that got the boot agree to this..
Are you people crazy? All the cards? Look at the reality. We are still the minority party in ALL THREE segments of our government right now, and the RATS STILL hold 2/3rds of the government AFTER the new congress is sworn in. Do you not understand that the new Republicans elected don't take office until next year and that Nancy Pelosi still runs the show in the House? How the HELL are you going to get anything at all done without framing it in a way that you can adjust once you have the POWER to do so? That power is coming, albeit limited since we don't have the Senate (but control the negative view of government since we're still the minority) . I'm surprised at how so many Freepers these days don't grasp reality and am seriously beginning to question that most of you aren't left wing bloggers employed by the Carter Center and other liberal subterfuge outlets to confuse normally clear thinking individuals.
Think about this for a moment: Barack Obama just conceded his biggest campaign pledge while still holding an 59 seat majority in the Senate and a HUGE majority in the House. And yet you still think that a LOSS? Look at the big picture, and quit thinking inside your own little immediate satisfaction world.