Did Congress just get played?

Reports are out that the Obama administration is willing to negotiate (compromise) on his Financial Stimulus program. Compromise with the Senate Democrats.??? I have stated some where earlier that Obama had learned some lessons from Carter's experience in the White House. The need to get things through a Democratic Congress in order to get things done.

Well he may have learned even better than I had expected. On first blush the Stimulus program was considered to moderate or too centrist by many Dems. There are now reports that in order to gain support he is willing to make some adjustments that seem to pull the package back to the left a little. Click Politico Here re: Compromise In addition after his initial announcement that the size would be roughly 775 Billion many cried that would be insufficient. Obama stated that he wanted to start at the lower end of the spectrum and see where congress went with the Bill.

This was smart on two fronts. First it is smart because it is true. I don't know how often a bill is actually reduced by congress once they get their hands on it, regardless of which party controls congress. Secondly, he is seen as a moderate who is willing to make the compromises necessary to get things done. This plays well to the general public. Maybe more important in working with Congress it makes the Congressional Dems feel good about themselves. In the end he will probably get the size, scope and conditions of a stimulus that he is after while appearing to be both even more centrist than maybe he actually is and greases the wheels of congress a little.