Poker With The Big Boys

Dear Mr. President-
The American people have staked you to a game, and
You are playing against the house;
You know the rules:
You are dealt a hand;
You do not show your opponent your hand, and
You do not hold your cards in a sloppy manner;
Exposing your ace (or no ace).
Yet you insist on ignoring this.
You abandon your hand without drawing from the deck;
You give up without a struggle; then
You reserve your criticism for the idealists and purists;
Acting as if you have no other choices.
Your paternalistic crap always guises itself
In protecting the poorest of the poor;
Those with preexisting conditions;
Or the unemployed--
Dividing the American people.
Meanwhile you make backroom deals
Wrapped in the "spirit of compromise,"
Giving away 700 billion dollars
To gain chump change
And then chiding the American people
As if only you and your cohorts
"See the long view".
Transparency be damned.
Your willingness to sell us out
Is wrapped in good intentions
As you continue to pander
To the rich and powerful interests.
You lob bombs at the poor internationally
At the expense of the unemployed and
Uninsured in America;
Acting as if aggression abroad
and incrementalism
Are the only realistic choices;
As if there had been no American Revolution
Or Civil War;
Never a conflict in American history;
As if all of our conflicts have been solved through compromise.
(As you engage us in two wars).
As it was said eloquently by the members
Of the Congress with whom
You feel most comfortable negotiating--
Mr. President, "You lie!"