Today POLITICO Arena asks:

Will there be a budget deal? And has Obama shown himself to be a capable leader throughout this budget impasse?

My response:

Will there be a budget agreement? Who knows. Has Obama shown himself to be a capable leader in this budget battle? Please. One thing is clear, though: It’s beyond rich for Democrats to blame Republicans for this budget impasse.

Let’s remember that we’re talking about the budget for the fiscal year that began last October, which should have been passed well before then — when Democrats held the White House and both chambers of Congress by wide margins. In all that time, however, they couldn’t pass even one appropriations bill. Why? Because they were trying to game the November elections.

Well they lost those elections — big time. Yet even in the lame-duck session, when they still held all the cards, they couldn’t pass a budget. Now they blame the Republicans? For listening to the voters? What do they think those elections were about? Chopped liver?