Gallup asked Americans:

Of course, the Republicans will not react to this; they will continue to threaten the filibuster and bully their way to steer a hundred billion dollars or more of the stimulus away from education and infrastructure building and toward their precious tax cuts instead.

As Obama is set to address the nation in a prime-time press conference. I suppose it’s too much to hope for to expect Obama to have an “American President” moment and take the opportunity to tell Americans that he tried everything he could to placate and compromise with the Republicans, but that after exhaustive attempts at bipartisanship, all he got were one or two Senators and no Representatives from that party, at the cost of too many valuable aspects of the bill, and so he plans to revert the bill back to its original form and will call for a straight up-or-down vote, and every American please contact your representatives in both houses and urge them to allow the straight vote, NOW.

Yeah, I know, it’s fantasy. Obama will almost certainly praise Republicans for trying, Kumbaya and all that, and will simply push for the bill as it is presently formed for immediate passage. Backtracking in that fashion would be gutsy but not Obama’s style.

What we’re getting is better than nothing, but it’s galling that so much of value had to be cut in order to get even the minimal approval of the party which so many Americans–even conservatives–feel is wrong and off-track. It just doesn’t feel right. Hopefully, Obama has learned his lesson and will not give up anything up front ever again, will start from a better negotiating position in the future, and will be tougher on the Republicans and play a harder game. One can hope.