Second Thoughts on the Tax Deal

Ezra Klein writes concerning the second thoughts about the tax deal on the conservative side:

I listed some of the conservative critics of the tax deal in Wonkbook today (Rush Limbaugh, Sarah Palin, the Tea Party Patriots, Charles Krauthammer), but Playbook shows their ranks are growing: Mitt Romney has an op-ed in USA Today saying the tax deal gives "President Obama ... reason to celebrate. The deal delivers short-term economic stimulus, and it does so at the very time he wants it most, before the 2012 elections." He's joined by Rep. Darrell Issa, who says the compromise is "an incomplete effort that fails to create a permanent tax structure giving businesses the kind of long-term predictability needed to support investment, economic growth and job creation."

With Palin, Romney, Limbaugh and the largest tea party group on the same side of this, I'd bet there are plenty of elected Republicans looking to bail. What they need is an excuse. If the House Democrats manage to make any real changes to the deal, they'll have one -- and so will John Boehner and Mitch McConnell.

So if this is so good for Obama and the Democrats, why wouldn't I support it?

Because it feels like the same old, short-term political calculus that really accomplishes nothing good for the long-term for the country. Do something just because it gives a short-term boost for Obama's reelection?  Increase the already-astronomical national debt levels long-term just to give Obama a political boost?  Obama hasn't been that good.