A novel approach to politics.

If liberal Democrats and conservative Republicans don't like Barack Obama's compromise on tax cuts and budget trimming, let 'em defeat it. Fact of the matter is, they can't. They don't have the votes. Instead, the Obama crafted plan will pass. For one simple reason. It has the votes. Yes, Obama is a pragmatist. He takes what he can get through Congress. No more. No less. Sure, the high-principled bases of each political party would rather stand up for their pure principles. But that won't get anything done. Instead, it'll just preserve the status quo. Which a majority of American people don't want. So the shrewd and canny and manipulative Obama is giving the people something close to what they really want. That's a novel approach to the political game, isn't it? --Jim Broede