By keeping most tax rates at present levels, Obama and the Democrats will claim that they have championed tax cuts for the middle class.

Hurtling the Pentagon into an unprecedented budgetary meltdown is horrifically irresponsible. Obama doesn't care. This is war - not against the Taliban, but war against the GOP. He has Republicans on the ropes, and that's a victory he savors and desires - unlike Afghanistan, where he seems only to want to turn tail.

Obama's claim is that he wants to give. The GOP is saying it wants to take.

John Podhoretz Quotes