Obama Tries to Sell Tax Deal to Democrats - David Herszenhorg and Sheryl Gay Stolberg

The problem with the compromise made to the GOP on tax cuts is that we shouldn’t have been painted into a corner. Obama managed to create a draw even though his chess pieces were in bad positions. But it means that his middle game blows: he had opportunity and chance earlier on, and they waited and waited, given the GOP time to force his hand at the 11th hour.

He’ll be judged less for last minute response to the ‘hostage taking’, and more for letting himself and the American people get into such a bad position in the first place.