Krauthammer’s Take: Any Republican Who Caves on Entitlements ‘Is a Fool’

◼ On tonight’s Special Report, Charles Krauthammer argued that, having in essence conceded on the tax issue, Republicans should not cave on the issue of entitlement reform. - Eliana Johnson/national Review

If they do, he says, President Obama will play them for fools. “Now, [the president] says, after Republicans give up their one issue on taxes, ‘I’ll discuss a bargain next year,’” Krauthammer said. “Of course he wants that, because that’ll be at a time when Republicans are defrocked, disrobed, and disarmed, they will have nothing to bargain with…any Republican who buys this is a fool.”

Krauthammer insisted that Republicans have more bargaining power in this process than meets the eye, because President Obama “wants a successful second term” and “if it starts by going over the cliff, it starts with a second recession, two million unemployed, and a wrecked second term.”

◼ Krauthammer advises GOP to take Obama to the fiscal cliff with threat of ‘second recession’ [VIDEO] - Jeff Poor/Daily Caller
rauthammer said the Republicans actually hold a substantial amount of leverage in the fiscal cliff negotiations, despite losing big on Election Day.

“Now, I understand why Democrats are doing this,” Krauthammer said. “They imagine that the Republicans have no bargaining power today. I say: It’s true that if Republicans resist, they will take the blame. And that will help the Democrats in the Congress. But Obama is never running again. He doesn’t care who gets the blame. He is going to be the president. He’s a lame duck. He wants a successful second term. If it starts by going over the cliff, it starts with a second recession — two million unemployed, and a wrecked second term. That is the leverage that Republicans have over Obama. And they ought to use it ,and not cave in in the face of a demand that I think is utterly unacceptable.”