Boehner’s Billionaire Buddies

John Boehner, the presumptive next Speaker of the House, is standing firm on his call for extending the Bush tax cuts, for everyone, permanently. Compare that with David Axelrod who said that the Obama Administration, in order to get tax cuts for the middle-class, would accept an across-the-board tax cut, temporarily.

What happened to the Obama position of not extending the tax cuts for the billionaires? POOF!

Negotiations haven’t even started and Obama has already compromised his previous position away. We are now down to whether the tax cut extension will be temporary or permanent.

A golden political opportunity has slipped through the President’s fingers. What we need is a catchy slogan. Something short and sweet, with alliteration, that will show where Boehner’s true allegiance lies.

Here is William Greider’s take (worth a complete read):

Given the election results, the question Barack Obama has to decide for himself is whether he really wants to be president in the fullest sense. Not a moderator for earnest policy discussions. Not the national cheerleader for hope. Not the worthy visionary describing a distant future.

Can Obama play hardball?

H/T Reuters, Huffington Post.

-David Drumm (Nal)