We in the Kos community have made clear our vision of the modern progressive/liberal agenda; Obama has demonstrated by his rhetoric that he knows what we want; but he has a country to run involving issues broader than those associated with taxes. For example, Obama needs to defend the recovering economy from the regression that would be the likely result from increased taxes on the middle class, and the end of unemployment insurance that would yield decreased consumer spending.
Unfortunately, in more than half the States, and in Congress, a meaningful number of our fellow Americans opted to elect legislators who have proven to be ignorant, money grubbing whores, captives of irrational thinking, followers of toxic religious dogma, and/or racists. Those key defining attributes create the attitude of the 2013 Republican negotiating partner Obama faces across the table. In other words, the Republicans are either incapable of understanding, do not know, or could not care less about the consequences of sticking to their agenda. But Obama does know, he cares about the consequences, and as much as it hurts to leave meritorious points on the table, he has to get the best deal he can from the particularly dumb or perverted people with whom he must bargain. Therefore he must act defensively to protect the well being of as many of those needing governmental benefits that he can rescue, and he must be the guardian of the sakes of the millions of Americans the Republicans do not recognize as being their financial contributors or voters-and who thus mean nothing to them.
Democracy forces us to be punished when “we the people" elect idiots and/or those lacking integrity or a moral compass to high places. The good people in government must make the best of the bad hand we voters dealt them. But none of this is permanent. There will be a Congressional election for all representatives and many senators in less than two years. The solution is obvious: We must educate, propagandize, brainwash or do whatever else it takes to convince the voters who gave us the dimwitted Republicans and Blue Dog Democrats to stop their acts of self mutilation.