Obama and liberals are saying they won. They didn’t It’s a win-win for the GOP on every level. Think not? Just look at the response from George Soro’s Think Progress.

“So in return for continuing the fiscally irresponsible and economically unsuccessful Bush tax policy, Democrats receive a desperately necessary extension of jobless benefits of the sort that used to be completely uncontroversial until this Congress came to town, as well as some helpful tax breaks for the working class that Republicans likely would have supported under any circumstance.”

Read through to the links in the comments. They’re coming apart in Progressive Land.

Over at National Review:

“President Obama has now moved into the second phase of capitulation. He has agreed to delay any tax increases, on anyone, for at least two years. The top marginal income-tax rate will stay at 35 percent; the dividend and capital-gains tax rates will stay at 15 percent. Over the next two years, the estate tax will be lower than it has been for almost any part of the last decade. The president has also agreed to an additional reduction in tax rates: Payroll taxes will also be temporarily reduced. And his own administration’s best policy proposal, allowing businesses to deduct the full cost of all investment expenses over the next two years, is also included in the deal.

What liberals got out of the deal was the extension of some of their favorite tax credits and, above all, a 13-month extension of federal subsidies for unemployment benefits — with no compensatory spending cuts. This stretches subsidies for the jobless out to three years. It’s far from our ideal policy, but the deal is still worth taking: If it won’t do much good for the economy, it will avert a serious blow to it.

It is possible that Republicans could have gotten an even better deal next year, since their numbers in Congress will increase in January. But that would have left them having to cut taxes retroactively and left households paying first higher and then lower taxes. Acting now reduces both uncertainty and volatility. Republicans can now spend the next two years advancing spending cuts and long-term tax reform.”

When the GOP takes control of congress in January the cutting of the budget will begin. A huge win.