After the White House reached a last-minute deal with Congressional Republicans Friday night to keep the federal government open and funded for the rest of the year and, as usual, voices on the left were quick to criticize president for compromising too quickly, and for inadequately explaining why he was compromising too quickly. ("The substance of this deal is bad," wrote Ezra Klein of The Washington Post. "But the way Democrats are selling it makes it much, much worse.") Such complaints would probably carry more weight if the left hadn't registered similar complaints after health care reform, the stimulus, and pretty much every other accomplishment Obama has had since taking office. At least Bill Maher had the advantage of being funny when he complained about what a "terrible negotiator" Obama was on his HBO show Saturday night.

 

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Ray Gustini