Sending Testosterone to the President

The fiscal cliff looms next week and while I still have the strong sense that some sort of deal will be worked out I, for one, am hoping that, for once, our President will understand that he holds all the cards.

Here is what will happen if Obama just holds in check his overwhelming urge to compromise.


The Bush tax cuts will expire for everybody.

The payroll tax cut will expire.

Massive cuts to defense spending will have to begin.

The Estate tax will revert to a higher rate.


What I need the President to do is to tell me how any of this is a bad thing. We all know that the on their first day in session the Senate can pass what will be then, an Obama tax cut for the portion of the electorate that they wish and then challenge the Republicans in the House to not act on it. Should the house not do so they would be in a position of holding the wide swath of the middle class hostage to a tax cut for the wealthy. Any tax bill can be retroactive. People will not be harmed.

The President won the election. The majority of Americans agreed with his vision of tax fairness. This is not the time to embolden the Republicans. This is the time to break them. President's are feared by Congress if they are successful. This President even after winning reelection is still not feared.

Mr. President you cannot win if you call the game when you have the lead. It is silly and sad that our politics has become a game of standoff, but it is, and if you are in the game you have to win. This President needs to win. To win he needs to put the pedal to the floor, put a stick against the gas, jump out of the car, and drive over the cliff.

Trust me Mr. President you will bounce.