Obama to GOP: 'I Won' ...

Though his supporters would never admit it, I find it amusing that, in many ways, Barack Obama is quite similar to George W. Bush.

A prime example can be found today in Politico's reporting of Obama's stimulus package negotiations with Republicans:

"I won," Obama noted matter-of-factly, according to sources familiar with the conversation.

Those two arrogant little words certainly were not meant to be conciliatory. The economy is serious business, and this arrogant "I won" line immediately reminded me of Bush's matter of fact, "so what?" line, which was in response to another serious question about Al Qaeda in Iraq.

"I won" is really something you'd expect to hear from a child -- not a president.

... But "I won" -- with the implication that to the victor go the spoils -- also reminded me of a statement Bush made early in his second term:

"I earned capital in this campaign, political capital, and now I intend to spend it..."

... As I recall, that didn't work out too well for Republicans. To be sure, we elect presidents to do things. But it occurs to me that both lines are defensive -- meant to serve as an ego boost to the person saying it. They have more to do with the speakers' insecurity than they do with conveying a message. Certainly, reminding everyone that you "won" does not go a long way toward winning friends and influencing people...