Unconscionable: Obama calls Republicans hostage-takers

Obama announced the deal with Republicans in true Obama fashion, with invectives against his political opposition.  Saying the GOP held middle class tax cuts hostage to cuts for the rich, is simply wrong.  Republicans want the tax cuts for everyone.  Take a look at this quote from the President;

"It's tempting not to negotiate with hostage takers — 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."

That is an unconscionable statement. It's not only insensitive to those who have had to deal with real hostage trauma, it's a ridiculous and misleading assertion.  Not only did he call the Republicans hostage takers in their approach to tax cuts, he actually stated that he expects Republicans to fight to end the middle class tax cuts in two years (i.e. leaving only the tax cuts for the wealthy).  Anyone who believes the GOP would do that is a fool.  The GOP certainly doesn't see things that way, and even if they did it would be political suicide to pursue that.  The President knows that and so his statement in the video below is a falsehood.  It's a deliberate lie.

For the first time in his presidency he has had to compromise (not pretend compromises like with the health care bill, but real ones). The sad fact is that he can't even compromise well.  He still has to get in his digs at the Republicans.  He could not be magnanimous in victory, he could not be magnanimous in defeat, and he cannot be magnanimous in compromise.

While compromise on tax cuts might actually help unemployment and could help him win re-election in 2012, his vindictive and acrimonious nature I think will ultimately be his undoing.