I just finished calling Congressman Jim McDermott, my representative in Seattle.  I expressed my strong opposition to President Obama's caving in to Republican blackmail in agreeing under the guise of "compromise" to providing an extension to the Bush tax cuts for the wealthy.

Progressives owe a debt of gratitude to Dan Bartlett for expressing the truth even if the intention was to boast about a "victory" that has been a tragic loss to the middle class and poor and a victory for the super privileged of American society.  

Bartlett was chortling over the Republicans having put one over on the Democrats when it came to the initial act whereby such irresponsible cuts would be imposed.  It was not done in a normal fashion through legislation but as an add-on and as such the cuts would thereby expire.

This was but phase one of the strategy.  The intent at that time was for those tax cuts for the top two percent of Americans to be extended.  This is certainly the present intention of Senate and House Republican leadership, spearheaded by Senator Mitch McConnell and Congressman and soon to be Speaker of the House John Boehner.