HE IS HIS BASE:

How The Left Was Lost (MICHAEL FALCONE and AMY WALTER, 12/06/10, ABC News: The Note)

SLOUCHING TOWARD COMPROMISE? That’s certainly how liberals would characterize the increasing likelihood that White House and Congressional leaders will cut a deal on the Bush-era tax cuts that includes a temporary extension of the cuts for both middle-class and wealthy Americans as well as a continuation of benefits for the long-term unemployed. The across-the-board temporary extension would last for at least two years and the jobless benefits, a Republican concession to Democrats, would be at least for one year. But, as our ABC Congressional team reports, this compromise could leave Senate Democrats fuming and it's already enraging progressive activists. ABC’s Jonathan Karl notes that to work out this deal, Republican Senate Leader Mitch McConnell has had multiple discussions directly with the president and the vice president. As McConnell said on “Meet The Press,” on Sunday, he's had more conversations with President Obama over the last two weeks than he had over the last two years. Democrats have largely been left out of these talks, and as Karl reported on “Good Morning America" today, all that has Democrats uneasy. Some are privately threatening to vote against this deal when it is finally done. The compromise is likely to be hammered out by mid-week.

Liberals have been upset with the White House plenty over these last two years (we're talking about you, public option). But, the White House decision to compromise on taxes has sparked ire within the progressive community to an extent we haven't seen before. Are we going to look back at this week as the one where the president lost his base?