MICKEY KAUS: OBAMA’S HOLLOW GAUNTLET.

Was Obama’s veto pledge fake macho posturing? . . .

There is lots of room for substantial Medicare cuts that won’t trigger a veto, even if they aren’t accompanied by revenue increases–as long as the cuts aren’t structured so clumsily as to directly cut “benefits” for the non-affluent.

That also means Obama hasn’t chosen a Trumanesque “run against Congress” strategy over a statesmanlike “grand bargain with Boehner” strategy. He’s still trying to keep both strategies in play. I suspect he still wants a grand bargain even if he gets stiffed on his tax increases on the rich. Monday’s speech looks like mostly a show to please the left. The loopholes give it away. …

Read the whole thing for Mickey’s close parsing of Obama’s statement.