Suppose you are a parent.  You discover your 5 year old son playing with a live hand grenade.  What would you do?  Would you rush in and try to take it away, risking a struggle that could set off the hand grenade?  I doubt it.  Most parents would try to bribe the child into handing them the hand grenade, as gently as possible.  They might even offer him some ice cream.  They would do whatever it takes, because they cannot risk having him set off the grenade.  When you are the adult it is your duty to protect your child against himself.  It is also your job to make sure the child doesn’t hurt anyone else.  Then, after the child was safe, and you make sure it never happens again.

Now imagine you are John Boehner.  The President of the United States is a child playing with the fiscal cliff hand grenade.  He is giggling and is prepared to blow up the nation’s economy as long as he can blame Republicans.  Speaker Boehner realizes that he is the only adult in the room.  So, he agrees to a plan to bribe the President into giving up the fiscal cliff grenade by increasing taxes on people earning more than $400k per year.  It is the least expensive bribe available.  The President jumps up and down in glee in celebration of his great victory and jets off to Hawaii to celebrate.

Speaker Boehner reports back to his caucus.  They ask him why he gave in to such childish behavior.  Boehner replies that saving the country is more important than winning a political battle.  But, Boehner also reports that he has learned his lesson.  He will never again try to negotiate with someone so childish and irresponsible.  Instead, he will just make sure the President never gets another fiscal cliff grenade.

So, while President Obama is playing golf and swimming in Hawaii, Republicans in congress are working on a plan to take away his power to hold the economy hostage.  That is the problem with people who behave childishly and irresponsibly.  Eventually, the adults figure out a way to regain control.

After Pearl Harbor, Admiral Yamato realized that while he had won a great victory, he had not destroyed America’s ability to fight.  He is quoted as saying:  “I fear we have awakened a sleeping giant and filled her with a terrible resolve.”

President Obama thinks he has destroyed the House of Representatives and stripped it of power.  He now thinks he can do whatever he wants.  But, I think his childish spiking of the football has only awakened a sleeping giant and he is about to deal with a very determined opponent.  Speaker Boehner remains in power today only because he was able to convince the House that he was ready, willing and able to fight back.

Any questions?

TDM