Spank those nasty, bad boys, Obama

 Greg Sargent is back yelling at "the left" for not standing with Obama for not standing up for us:

Facts of life: The reality is that it's increasingly obvious that all the Bush tax cuts are going to be extended. The only real question at this point is what Dems get in return. The reality is also that the left is going to continue lashing Obama mercilessly as weak if the White House walks away with a bad deal and doesn't find a way to negotiate from a position of strength in future standoffs with the GOP.

Sure, the usual suspects will say it's good for Obama to get attacked from the left. But the drumbeat encouraging the perception of Obama as weak and prone to capitulation -- which is beginning to gain traction in the mainstream media, fair or not -- could in the long run could become the narrative and result in a real political problem that stretches beyond the base.

Here's a fact of life:  We'll stop calling Obama weak, when he stops acting weak. I mean, really: "if the White House walks way with a bad deal and doesn't find a way to negotiate from a position of strength," then ... they should stop doing that.  They should walk away with a good deal, negotiating from a position of strength.  If Obama wants to end the perception, he should end the reality.  If this becomes a political problem, good.  Maybe he'll respond by ... not acting weak.

I would encourage he not wait  for "future standoffs" to perfect this art. No time like the present. Once rolled, always rolled and all that.

I'm not even sure "weakness" is the most salient part of this diagnosis.  It's probably more apt to say Obama  doesn't stand behind his promises. I'm not sure that's more flattering, but I'll bite. Why does he do this? It could be out of weakness. It could be due to incompetence.  It could be a lack of principle. Maybe it's all three.  Either way, not good.

Granted, the Republicans are nasty, bad boys, as Larry Craig might say. But what do you do to nasty, naughty bad boys? You spank them. Hard.

Craig would.

Incidentally, if this idea of weakness bleeds into the mainstream media, it's not because they're listening to us. It's because they have eyes, or, more likely, ears -- if the Republicans say it, it must be true. And if anyone, especially Obama, believes we have this kind of pull with the media, then they should by all means listen to us.  It'd certainly be a first.