tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7163441833245663827.post6983592267471081701..comments2024-03-28T10:49:14.510-05:00Comments on Horizons: Obama the NegotiatorNancy LeTourneauhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12614317154146836694noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7163441833245663827.post-81748506498284132092015-09-12T09:13:14.956-05:002015-09-12T09:13:14.956-05:00Attention to detail is everything. Our President i...Attention to detail is everything. Our President is not distracted by shiny objects. Honestly the only people paying attention were political junkies. The rest of the populace can't even figure out which party is in power.<br /><br />You're right, Nancy, Poker isn't the correct analogy. Since there is no bluffing in Chess, and keeping your intentions hidden is part of Chess, then I'm thinking that's the activity that comes the closest.Tien Lenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7163441833245663827.post-13801591798536480852015-09-12T00:03:35.478-05:002015-09-12T00:03:35.478-05:00In the vote that extended the upper income tax cut...In the vote that extended the upper income tax cuts for 2 years, the screeching could be heard coast to coast. Only a handful of organizations, Center on Budget & Policy Priorities for one, quickly determined that while the GOP thought they'd won, the final agreement was 86% for the American people in tax credits, breaks, and other goodies, while a scant 14% consisted of those breaks. With the GOP focused EXCLUSIVELY on that bright, shiny object, the president ran rings around the GOP to get what WE needed. I'd say that was amazing. In the pre-sequester negotiation, President Obama also got a huge number of programs set OUT of the sequester including Social Security, Medicare, VA benefits, etc. That protected essential programs that could NOT - still cannot - be cut. And on and on it goes. He has carefully, quietly, and systematically gotten far more for us than the GOP ever dreamed was happening. They never noticed until they had made agreements that preserved exactly what the GOP hoped to kill. I'd say that was a pretty shrewd set of steps myself.Churchlady320noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7163441833245663827.post-86627101871984875242015-09-11T18:22:32.691-05:002015-09-11T18:22:32.691-05:00Also worth remembering is that Nancy Pelosi told P...Also worth remembering is that Nancy Pelosi told President Obama that the most he should ask for and could get through Congress was $500 billion. Obama asked for $750 billion and Congress passed it.Alan Mandelnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7163441833245663827.post-29075999532572934162015-09-11T16:33:13.002-05:002015-09-11T16:33:13.002-05:00I'm still amazed that the Republicans agreed t...I'm still amazed that the Republicans agreed to the "disapproval" measure. If the President were a Republican and the Democrats controlled Congress I would be pissed that they signed onto anything that stupid.<br /><br />Remember, "do what you say" does not mean you have to "say" anything.Chris Andersenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18139817527808942227noreply@blogger.com