"I think it's tempting not to negotiate with hostage takers...unless the hostage gets harmed." President Obama explaining to Chuck Todd why he caved in to the Republicans on the Bush tax rates
His reasoning is that real Americans would have suffered if he hadn't cut a deal. I can see the wisdom in that, however much I vocally disagree with how he went about it. He could have cut the deal without seeming as though he crumbled under pressure.