Presiden Obama's third presidential campaign

First Senator Obama defeated Senator McCain. Then he defeated Governor Romney. Now he's up against his third Republian--this time not a candidate but the heretofore Boss of the Republican Party: Grover Norquist.

On Norquist's side you have the Tea Party contingent in Congress, pretty much all the right wing radio and TV hosts, mong blogosphere, a majority of the Republican rank and file in the congressional districts that sent those Tea Party types to Congress.

On the President's side you have the Republican congressmen in districts that might elect a Democrat if their Congressman keeps putting the desires of billionaires before their own, and the Republican leadership, which knows the President has the Republicans over a barrell.

But the word from Norquist's radio and TV pundits is that the Republicans actually have the Presideand that they can put the President on a short leash with month to month or even week to week spending approvals contingent on the President obeying them.

For the sake of both moderate conservatives and everyone else, I hope Norquist's troops stick to their guns. It will be painful for the country, but it will be even more painful to allow Norquist to continue to run America's economics from an unelected lobbyists's office.

The Republican leadership may actually hope this happens too, because the Tea Party types are so irrational they're starting to tarnish the Reputlican brand, and the party's leadership would be happier with congressmen who don't have Crazy Eyes.

What did the American people say Tuesday?

The people re-elected a President who said he'd veto any budget plan that didn't include raising taxes on the rich--specifically, those getting more than $250,000 a year.

The people re-elected a House whose Republican majority had all signed a written pledge to their boss Grover Norquist not to raise any taxes on anyone for any reason whatsoever.

Both liberals and conservatives had advocated waiting on major legislation until this election was over, in hopes that the other side would be swept out of power and the winners would not have to compromise.

Well, the other side wasn't. [side note: if the rest of the world had had a say, the Republicans would have been swept out of office at every level; Democrats and Republicans draw very different conclusions from this factoid, however]

However, the exit polls showed 60% of the public agreeing with the President about hiking taxes on the rich and only 35% agreeing with the Republican House that serves Grover Norquist.

So the public's voting to preserve the previous balance of power was not a vote for gridlock. No poll said that, though that is what diehard Movement Republicans want. But most people were saying with their votes and in the polls that they wanted Washington to compromise.

Compromise.

That means raising taxes--not just eliminating loopholes. Raising taxes.

But not as much as Democrats want.

And it also means cutting back the social safety net.

But not as much as Republicans want.

And they expect President Re-Elect Obama to drive this compromise--not congressional leaders.

The public holds everyone in Washington responsible for the mess and responsible for cleaning it up.

I'll be happy if I'm unhappy with the result.