Is the tax deal a sign of new cooperation between the GOP and Barack Obama? The short answer is no.
And the longer answer? As long as Obama is president and Democrats control one chamber of Congress, the incentives that drove Republican behavior over the last two years remain in place. It's still the case that poor economic performance will harm Obama and the Democratic Party, and it's still the case that Republicans can force many concessions by holding the government hostage to their whim. Indeed, with the omnibus dead and START on life support, this lame-duck session is basically a trial run for the next two years, where Republicans kill anything potentially beneficial to Democrats.
Republicans have little interest in working with Obama, but they do love tax cuts for the rich. And that's why the deal passed. The GOP is nothing but ideologically committed to lowering rates on high earners, and renewing the Bush tax cuts is the central item on its agenda. Hell, it's the only item on its agenda. Republicans are willing to give away anything if it means cutting taxes for rich people, and if Obama can offer more cuts for the rich, then they will cooperate. Likewise, if Obama can offer anything that seems like a raw deal for Democrats, Republicans will jump for it. Otherwise, the next two years will look a lot like the last two years, with the added excitement of frivolous investigations, a government shutdown, and the GOP presidential contest. 1995 can't come soon enough.
-- Jamelle Bouie
