America's Stockholm Syndrome

The word from Washington this week is Republican extortion tactics work.

Top senators from both parties indicated Sunday that a deal was likely soon on temporarily extending Bush-era tax cuts for all Americans, along with unemployment benefits that have expired.

However, Republican senators made clear they are unlikely to budge in their opposition to other Democratic priorities in the final weeks of the lame-duck session of Congress that ends in early January.

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Kentucky, told the NBC program "Meet the Press" he was "optimistic" about an agreement on the tax rates and jobless benefits, but added there likely wasn't time for the Senate to ratify a new nuclear arms treaty with Russia or complete work on a major defense bill that includes repeal of the "don't ask, don' tell" policy banning openly gay and lesbian soldiers.

Democrats, stymied by the ability of Senate Republicans to filibuster their agenda, shot back with angry words.

"I hope Americans will understand how craven and empty and hollow and contradictory the Republican position is," veteran Sen. John Kerry, D-Massachusetts, told CNN.

To recap, Republicans are holding unemployment benefits for millions of Americans hostage.  They want tax cuts for millionaires and to kill the rest of the Obama agenda, i.e. total victory, or else millions of Americans will literally pay a brutal price.  This is called "bipartisanship".

The best part is this will increase the deficit for years to come, and Obama will be blamed for it.  Kerry is right, it's hollow and craven, but the Village will make sure it works by running articles calling this a "deal" rather than dropping headlines like "Republicans Take American Middle Class Hostage, Demand Everything."

For hundreds of millions of Americans, this "deal" is a complete shafting.  But centrism will prevail, centrism in this case being total capitulation to conservative bigots.  If Obama gives this away, even I have to look for my firebagger card.

[UPDATE]   President Obama is expected to make remarks about this deal today in NC.

[UPDATE 2]  Bob Cesca also points out the very likely possibility that Republicans will just refuse to extend unemployment benefits anyway and blame the Dems, demanding the benefits be paid for through additional spending cuts elsewhere.  Total victory indeed.

[UPDATE 3] In fact, Republicans can't wait to kill the deal and blame Obama.