But I thought the Democrats wanted compromise?

    By now everyone has heard about the Bush tax cut deal that Barack Obama negotiated with the Republicans–he agreed to extend all of the tax cuts for two more years in exchange for another extension of unemployment benefits. Both sides agreed to something that they did not agree with in order to get something done–this is called bipartisanship and it has been very rare in Washington these days.

  Both sides have people who are upset with the deal, but by and large the most vocal critics of this deal seem to be coming from the left. Many Democrat politicians and voters alike are livid at the fact that Barack Obama agreed to extend the Bush tax cuts on the rich in return for extended unemployment benefits. Their anger is understandable as Barack Obama campaigned on the promise to let the Bush tax cuts expire on the richest of Americans, but what they don’t seem to understand is how the idea of compromise works. Sure, they talk a good game, but that is all they do.

  Barack Obama came into office under the promise of bringing Washington together–there was no red America, and no blue America, but a United States of America–but that promise was short-lived. Shortly after taking office, during negotiations on the stimulus bill Barack Obama told the Republicans, “I won, so I trump you on that” setting up the tone for the continuousness that followed over the next two years. Suddenly Barack Obama was not interested in compromise.

  For the last two years, all that we heard from the Democrats was the claim that the Republicans would not work together with the Democrats; the Republicans are not interested in compromise. This was a continuing theme, but the truth is that neither side was willing to work with the other, it wasn’t just Republicans who were unwilling to work with Democrats, the ultra-partisanship was reciprocated by Democrats.

  Now for the first time in quite some time–possibly since the No Child Left Behind Bill–we have two parties which came together and for better or worse hammered out a deal in which both sides gave up something in order to get something and now the Democrats are upset with the president for giving into the Republicans.

  It is clear that even after the shellacking the Democrats took in November that they really aren’t interested in compromise at all. Their idea of compromising is when the Republicans give up and compromise their beliefs and give in to the Democrats and their agenda.

  It is now being reported that House Democrats are writing a letter to send to the Democrat caucuses in an attempt to stop Nancy Pelosi from bringing this compromise to a vote on the House floor, proving beyond a shadow of a doubt that the Democrats have no intention of compromising with the Republicans whatsoever.

  Barack Obama and the Republicans negotiated in good faith and came to a compromise on the Bush tax cuts and unemployment extensions and for that Barack Obama has been put in the crosshairs by his own party. As it stands right now, there is a good chance that the compromise deal hammered out to both stop tax increases on the middle class AND extend unemployment benefits could be killed by the Democrats because they are unwilling to compromise on the tax increases on the rich in this country.

  But I thought Democrats wanted compromise?