Kamikaze Joe

PRESIDENT OBAMA is ending the year with a string of spectacular wins in Congress. His pragmatic, reality-based strategy worked brilliantly. But Obama’s performance still wasn’t good enough for Time magazine's Joe Klein. He wished Obama had not compromised and mounted the “Charge of the Light Brigade,” even at the risk of probable defeat. In his latest column ("What Congress Didn't Do"), he said Congress failed because 1) it did not break up the "big six 'too-big-to-fail' banks in the financial reform package,” and 2) it too readily appeased the rich in the “tax-cut compromise package just passed." Klein was disappointed that “Obama wanted no part” of leading a frontal, non-compromising assault directly into Republican machine gun fire. Writing "I'd love to see that issue reopened," Klein is seemingly convinced Obama should go all Kamikaze on us. Right, that worked out so well for Imperial Japan in WWII. As usual, Joe (one of the level-headed good guys out there) raises some legitimate points. But I think Mr. Obama took the right legislative path. It’s why he (and America) can celebrate today – instead of gloriously sinking beneath the waves with the U.S.S. Klein.