Once again Obama has cut the legs out from under the Democrats. Let's keep this really simple...
Nov 18 - Obama meets with Democratic leaders. Pelosi and Reid state that the House and Senate will vote on extending only the middle class tax cuts. Obama makes vague comments in support.
Nov 29 - In an "olive branch" to Republicans Obama announces he will freeze federal pay.
Nov 30 - Obama meets with Republicans. Obama sends Tim Geithner to negotiate a deal that everyone knows is to swap extension of unemployment benefits for extension of tax cuts for the rich.
Dec 2 - House passes extension of tax cuts only. Obama says nothing. Senate schedules vote on tax cuts for middle class only for Dec 4. Obama says nothing.
Dec 3 - Obama goes to Afghanistan.
Dec 3 - White House starts talking about how important extension of unemployment benefits is. White House says that the Senate vote is doomed, and that they will get down to a deal with the Republicans once the vote fails.
Dec 4 - Vote in Senate fails. Obama says that he will make a deal by Jan 1, that everyone knows will be to extend the tax cuts for the rich in exchange for extension of unemployment benefits.
Note that throughout this kabuki theater Obama never once used the office of the President to support congressional efforts to kill tax cuts for the rich, even though this was his bedrock campaign pledge. In fact, on the night before the Senate vote, rather than politic for the bill, the Obama Administration told the media the bill was doomed and that they were dealing separately with Republicans. You can understand why Democrats in congress are frustrated.
Anyone who has been paying attention knows that Obama has already worked out his deal with the Republicans. It is what he wanted all along. There will be a one year extension of unemployment benefits costing $18B, and a one, two or three year extension of tax cuts for the rich costing, $80B, $160B or $240B depending on how much he decides to compromise.
The rich win again. That's the way he rolls. All the rest is just for show, and it is becoming very predictable.