Mitch McConnell, on the floor of the U.S. Senate, offering his version of why the White House decided to make a deal with the GOP:
It's time to end the posturing and to accomplish something, not for the liberal base, but for the vast middle of America that needs us. The White House has signaled its concern for the economy, that it's policies aren't helping, and that it's time to work with Republicans on forging a new path.
Uh, no, whatever you think about the deal, the reason the President Obama negotiated with Republicans wasn't that he believes his policies aren't helping the economy, and it certainly wasn't that he believes it's time to chart a new direction with the GOP. The reason he made a deal was that Republicans put a gun to the head of unemployed Americans and the American middle-class.
There's an honest debate to be had over whether Obama (and Congressional Democrats before him) blinked too quickly, but the motive wasn't to concede that Republicans have been right all along about the economy. The motive was to make sure that unemployment insurance and middle-class tax cuts get extended. That's who and what he was fighting for. In contrast, Mitch McConnell was fighting for millionaires and billionaires and his own political advantage.
According to McConnell, Democrats need to get on board the train:
We've reached a bipartisan agreement. It's time Democrats in Congress reach a similar conclusion and enable us to act for the good of the whole country. Americans are counting on us. They've waited long enough.
But in the Senate, the only Democrat to have actually pledged a filibuster is Bernie Sanders. So far, there's been two Republicans -- Jim DeMint and George Voinovich -- who have announced their opposition to the deal. So maybe next time Mitch goes to the Senate floor to scream about Democrats not supporting his deal, he could first make sure he's got his own house in order.