Trapped!

Klein said Jarrett told the president that voters would blame Republicans for the shutdown and “devised the no-negotiating strategy” that ultimately forced the GOP to end the 16-day shutdown with Obamacare still intact and to extend the federal government’s borrowing power to avert debt default. “Valerie also came with the idea of using the words ‘hostage’, and ‘ransom’ and ‘terrorists’ against the Republicans,” Klein said.

Conspicuously missing: any actual examples of steps either of them took to lay this trap.

This is obviously a cognitive coping mechanism on the part of Republicans (and in one sense yes they thoroughly got played) who have to find a way to rationalize how they could have lost so badly. And this is the perfect out. Of course they couldn't have screwed up so badly on their own. They were trapped! But it is still a deficient excuse as it admits that they are stupid enough to be be lured into and fall into the machinations of the evil duo of Obama and Jarrett. And requires them to admit that Obama and Jarrett are capable of such Machiavellian tactics.

Thing is, Democrats don't need any help in making Republicans look really stupid. That seems to be the one skill they have fully mastered. This is classic projection at its finest. What Republicans don't realize is that President Obama doesn't spend his time figuring out ways to defeat the GOP. He spends his time figuring out how to govern the country and do the best for it.

