Short Handed

Elimination
He (Obama) pretends that Boehner’s offer to raise revenue by eliminating deductions rather than by raising rates is fiscally impossible.

But on July 22, 2011, Obama had said that “$1.2 trillion in additional revenues . . . could be accomplished without hiking tax rates, but could simply be accomplished by eliminating loopholes, eliminating some deductions and engaging in a tax reform process.” Which is exactly what the Republicans are offering today.

You’ve heard of situational ethics. This is situational mathematics. (Charles Krauthammer, Washington Post, 12/6/2012)

The late Tim Russert was famous for asking politicians their views on an issue and then immediately displaying quotes wherein they had espoused the opposite position. Sadly for the country today it is not so in the press today when it comes to Obama. Can you imagine for even one second George Stephanopoulos or Brian Williams or Andrea Mitchell or Piers Morgan saying to Obama: "But Mr. President, on July 22, 2011, here is what you said about eliminating deductions. So are you changing your position on deductions and are Republicans right to be frustrated?"  Journalism is dead. 


Cliffhanger
But as this column has hitherto noted, the cliff’s consequences — huge tax increases and defense cuts — are progressivism’s agenda. And Obama needs to restock the pantry where he stores his excuses for his economic policy failures. The tax increases would augment his policy of enlarging government’s control of the nation’s economic output, and he could henceforth blame continuing economic anemia on Republicans who supposedly should have averted what progressives desire. (George Will, Washington Post, 12/5/2012)

Light bulb moment for us, thanks to Will. Obama WANTS to go off the cliff. It gets allows him to eviscerate the military and raise taxes on EVERYONE. And to blame it all on Republicans.


Argumentative
The Supreme Court announced Friday it will for the first time hear arguments about same-sex marriage, with a decision on one of America's most politically divisive social issues likely this summer. (Washington Post, 12/7/2012)

Liberals must be overjoyed at the prospect of their new favorite justice, John Roberts, throwing the gay marriage decision their way. 


In Dreams
Some law enforcement officials, alarmed at the prospect that marijuana users in both states could get used to flouting federal law openly, are said to be pushing for a stern response. But such a response would raise political complications for President Obama because marijuana legalization is popular among liberal Democrats who just turned out to re-elect him.

“It’s a sticky wicket for Obama,” said Bruce Buchanan, a political science professor at the University of Texas at Austin, saying any aggressive move on such a high-profile question would be seen as “a slap in the face to his base right after they've just handed him a chance to realize his presidential dreams.” (NYT, 12/6/2012)

It's also a "sticky wicket" for Obama (aka "the interceptor") because of his reputation in his younger days as a serious stoner. We are just waiting for someone at NORML to raise this awkward issue. But Mr. President, when you were a teenager in Hawaii isn't it true that.....?