Heroes, sidekicks do what Obama can’t

Raising the debt limit is “must pass’’ legislation - Republicans’ best chance to address America’s unsustainable budget deficits. But after the House passed a budget in April, deficit negotiations quickly lost any semblance of discipline. When Senate Budget Chairman Kent Conrad attempted to move forward, he was undercut by the “Gang of Six.’’ Committee Democrats feared taking tough votes when a bipartisan deal might be just around the corner.

Then the Gang was promptly undercut by talks led by Vice President Joe Biden. A few weeks later, Biden was undercut by the president’s call for a White House summit.

Just as a deal was about to be announced, the president was undercut by the reappearance of the Gang of Six. The senators endorsed bigger tax increases than his own plan, so the president changed his tune. His demand for additional taxes brought the talks down.

Battle lines were drawn and, as in the movies, congressional stars filled their roles well. Speaker John Boehner played the grizzled veteran. He presides over an unruly caucus, but was willing to accept $800 billion in revenue increases if the president had only said yes. At one point even the Washington Post called him “the adult in the room.’’

By comparison, Harry Reid’s arsenal consists of popguns and spitballs. His majority falls short of the 60 needed for Senate passage, and the 23 Democratic Senate seats up in 2012 made for a skittish group. He never backed away from the fight, but for all the posturing, Reid’s plan always lacked one thing - the votes needed to pass.

As minority leaders, Nancy Pelosi and Mitch McConnell played their sidekick roles with dignity. Pelosi’s rhetorical barbs are designed to keep the left from revolting, but McConnell’s steady hand and Republican votes would be essential to get anything through the Senate.