Take the Highway

As the budget house burns down the president leaves for a fundraiser at Al Sharpton's National Action Network while scolding Congress on his way out of town:

"At a time when you are struggling to pay your bills and meet your responsibilities, the least we can do to meet our responsibilities is produce a budget. That is not too much to ask for. That is what the American people expect of us, that's what they deserve. You want everybody to act like adults, quit playing games and realize it is not my way or the highway," President Obama said in Pennsylvania before he is set to hold a fundraiser tonight.

Does anyone really think he's talking about the actual 2011 budget? Because that would be a condemnation of Nancy Pelosi for never bringing it to a vote before the November election (despite having the supermajority). Funny time for pointing out the foot-dragging if one is sincerely condemning the politics.

But we've come to expect it from the only "adult" in the room, who is once again floating above the political fray while feverishly playing his part in the Democratic floor dance to either 1) shame the GOP into capitulation, which Wasserman-Schultz will immediately spin as victory while pointing out how upset it will make the Tea Party, or 2) goading them into actually closing the government, which will immediately be called 'extremism' by every liberal mouth within media range.

Is there a win for the GOP in shutting things down? Doesn't seem an easy one, if so. But it certainly appears easy to explain why Obama filed his reelection papers this week--fond memories of Clinton/Gingrich dancing through his head. The only wild card this time is whether the public is childish enough to fall for it or gets madder than hell over a bunch of children who can't manage their credit card debt. We shall see.