Obama: Master Negotiator

This is the take it or leave it deal President Barack Obama is offering Republicans.

The White House is squarely backing a proposal by Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) that would raise the debt limit through 2012 while making $2.7 trillion in spending cuts -- and providing no tax revenue.

The onus is now on Republicans to sign onto Reid's deal or continue to test the financial markets' stability as the clock runs down on the Aug. 2 deadline to raise the nation's borrowing limit or face default.

John Boehner offered Obama a $2 trillion deal with (don't laugh) that Republicans would down the road vote for tax increases. Obama took the deal. Boehner couldn't get his caucus to agree on sticking Obama on tax increases down the road. Any talk of raising taxes, even under a bargaining lie, was toxic to tea party Republicans. In the end: Obama negotiated a deal that gave Boehner more than what he asked for.

I'm sorry, but I have a hard time taking Obama seriously.