Forward?

With the elections over and another victory under his belt, the president and his political adversaries in the house now face their most daunting task since healthcare legislation; the impending fiscal cliff.

On this issue, I hope the president realizes that he is no longer campaigning for his job. It is now his responsibility to reach across the aisle in good faith and strike a deal with the republican majority in the House. And, he has to find a way to cajole the democratically controlled Senate into going along.

We all know the republicans will balk at the president's insistence on raising taxes on the "wealthy". While he can hold his position for a while, at some point, he needs to bring something new to the table in order to get things moving. The fact of the matter is, it will take both an increase in taxes AND cuts to certain entitlement programs, and yes, probably defense as well. But the tax increase on the wealthy alone won't be enough.

The president needs to be truthful with the American people and the congress that ALL Americans will have to pay more in taxes in order to get this thing done. The real negotiating will have to do with the details; who pays how much more and for how long. But make no mistake, simply raising taxes on the wealthy won't get the job done. The tax base has to be much broader.

It's not what anyone wants to hear, but it's the only way "forward".

Oh, and before I forget, yes, this is on the president to get done. He is in charge. He is the one who needs to twist arms behind closed doors and garner public support for whatever plan he and his team come up with. Others before him have worked with a hostile congress and gotten things done. There's no good reason he shouldn't be expected to do the same.

It's his job.