Eugene Robinson charts the map the Republicans are using to walk away with most of of the crazy things they demand. First, demand the impossible. Then, negotiate. Only in this case, "negotiation" is taken seriously only by Democrats. They negotiate even as the demands increase. In the end, Republicans get two-thirds of what they wanted and then rush to set even more outrageous goals.
Why don't the Democrats start making similar demands? Why can't progressives be just as intransigent?
Progressives who do believe that a healthy, prosperous nation is more than a collection of self-interested individuals have a duty to respond. From all indications, the plan for debt reduction and entitlement reform that Obama plans to announce Wednesday will include a mix of sensible spending cuts and modest tax increases — something that everyone should be able to live with.
But mark my words, the response from the ideologues of the far right won’t be to sit down with the president and negotiate a middle course. They won’t even pretend to look for common ground. They’ll insist on spending cuts in the 2012 budget that go far beyond even the outrageous demands that Republicans made for the current year. As leverage, they’ll have a crucial upcoming vote on raising the debt ceiling to avoid a catastrophic default. Think they won’t try to use it?
Politically, Obama gets to be seen as sensible, pragmatic and more interested in solutions than political gamesmanship. But step back and look at the bigger picture. Why are we even talking about spending cuts, rather than increases, when the economy is still struggling to climb out of one of history’s worst recessions? If rising medical costs are the real long-term problem, Obama’s reform law took the first steps toward a solution. Why aren’t Democrats saying the obvious: We need to go farther down that road — at least to a government health plan — rather than reverse direction.
Crazy talk? Maybe. But Republicans are proving that demanding the impossible is an excellent place to start.
