Brinkmanship and the negotiating studs within the GOP.

Here are the opening words from an article found at MyWayNews, a news portal used by the Original Midknight Review - new and revised, along with Drudge and Memeorandum:

WASHINGTON (AP) - The historic $38 billion in budget cuts resulting from at-times hostile bargaining between Congress and the Obama White House were accomplished in large part by pruning money left over from previous years, using accounting sleight of hand and going after programs President Barack Obama had targeted anyway.

Such moves permitted Obama to save favorite programs - Pell grants for poor college students, health research and "Race to the Top" aid for public schools, among others - from Republican knives, according to new details of the legislation released Tuesday morning.

Understand the the Libs are dedicated to the revitalization of the Obama mystique of 2008. After reading the news story at MyWay in its entirety, have someone slap you back into reality and immediately ask yourself this question: exactly what was the Obama doctrine as to "cuts" before the GOP came along? The answer? A five year freeze on [more] spending which would "save" the American people $400 billion dollars - a savings of 400 billion compared to an increased debt of more than 7.5 trillion during the same period of time.

The fact of the matter is this: there was no serious effort by the GOP to cut the programs mentioned in the article above -- emphasis on "serious effort."

Anyone know what "brinkmanship" is? For purposes of this post, it is the political art-form of pushing for a broader agenda than is realistic, for purposes of gaining an upper hand in pending negotiations. In view of the fact that nothing in terms of suggested cuts came out of the Democrat Senate or from the desk of Mr. Obama during the recent negotiations, it is clear that it was the GOP pushing for serious cuts of some sort. In fact, the 38 billion dollar agreed to last Friday evening amounts to programs cuts totaling $500 billion over the course of the coming decade.

But, back to "brinkmanship: this is how "brinkmanship" works. The GOP demands that Planned Parenthood be cut. Obama and the Dems say "Nope, ain't going to happen." And the GOP says, "OK, then give us cuts for Planned Parenthood in the District of Columbia" and the Dems say, "OK."

The GOP says, "We want the National Education Agency gone." Obama says, "Ain't going to happen" and the Republicans say, "Well, then, give us school vouchers" and the Dems say, "O.K."

The GOP says, "Give us back the unused monies for the infrastructure and contracts," and the Dems said "No." So, the GOP asked for a 1.5 billion cut in the high speed rail fantasy, and the Dems said, "O.K."

The GOP said, "We want the EPA out of cap and trade issues." The Dems said "No" and the GOp got a billion dollar cut in funding to the EPA.

We could go on and on, but that is how "brinkmanship" works, and the GOP did a masterful job in this effort.