So, the Senate failed to end a filibuster and Don’t Ask Don’t Tell Repeal is dead, probably for at least the next 4 years.

Obama started calling people about this yesterday, so much for fierce advocacy, and the witch hunts and separations continue.

With financial reform, he was pushing back to keep it as small as possible.

With healthcare reform, he cut a deal that made us all slave labor for the insurance companies.

And not a peep from the administration about the Employee Free Choice Act (EFCA), or the Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA).

And then there is the tax deal, which lowers the inheritance tax, and gives the Republicans a wedge to defund Social Security.

As I have noted before, he appointed Alan Simpson and Erskine Bowles, both supporters of “privatizing” Social Security to chair his debt commission.

I am beginning to think that he’s not a bad negotiator, but that he is getting everything that he wants, and what he wants are largely Republican policies.

I’m beginning to think that he bay actually getting he wants.

Talk about eleventy dimensional chess.

^* It’s an old joke.