SNL on Obama: "Republican leaders decided to hold us hostage, for about three days--- bound, gagged and blindfolded. " (with video)

NBC-SNL, video (03:31).
Howie P.S.: Eric Zorn (Chicago Tribune, op-ed) explains "Why the left is right to be cross with Obama":

But where I, for one, grew disillusioned was when the White House didn't respond vigorously at the right's demonization of ObamaCare after it passed, even though nearly all of the new law's provisions separately polled well. This torpid failure of message and purpose contributed to the pasting that Democrats took in November.

On the issue of extending the Bush-era tax cuts, poll after poll showed strong support for Obama's idea of not extending them on income above $250,000 a year for couples. High-earners have had a comparatively good decade and they can afford the extra nick to help the nation bring down the deficit.

What a great political issue! Pass an extension of tax relief for roughly 98 percent of earners, then stand back and watch the citizenry attack Republicans with metaphorical torches and pitchforks when they filibuster all tax relief until their rich pals get in on it too. MORE...

Paul Krugman is troubled by "Orwellian Centrism":

The debate over the public option wasn’t what slowed the legislation. What did it was the many months Obama waited while Max Baucus tried to get bipartisan support, only to see the Republicans keep moving the goalposts; only when the White House finally concluded that Republican “moderates” weren’t negotiating in good faith did the thing finally get moving.

So look at how the Village constructs its mythology. The real story, of pretend moderates stalling action by pretending to be persuadable, has been rewritten as a story of how those DF hippies got in the way, until the centrists saved the day.

The worst of it is that I suspect Obama’s memory has gone down the same hole. MORE...