Obama’s Lousy Compromises

Washington marks time and makes threats, but does not act.

The spectacle of American big shots arguing over the debt doesn’t help their image one bit. Washington isn’t debating. It isn’t looking for solutions. It’s not making decisions. Washington is marking time and making threats but not taking action.

A minority grown powerful, the tea party movement plays a fateful role in all this. Its supporters in Congress have elevated the bar brawl to the level of serious debate with no regard for social or economic consequences. America’s most vulnerable will be the first to suffer, but this policy also now threatens Wall Street and other businesses. It has let an uncontrollable genie out of the bottle.

President Obama is in large measure to blame for this messy situation. He sought compromises on the debt argument far too early. He negotiated with his opponents behind closed doors rather than aggressively fight for the programs he promised during his campaign. The result? His opponents have let him run aground. His base has nothing with which to defend him.

Another result: The universal element of his health care plan has been abandoned. That only put more money into the private insurance industry’s pockets and gave the tea party movement an argument with which to score points during the midterm elections. And the liberals were just left standing helplessly on the sidelines.

This latest hesitancy from Washington will probably also result in another lousy compromise.