Just a warning, it’s going to be an ugly news day

The reaction to the President's stealth plan to cut Social Security and Medicare, compounded with today's news that the unemployment rate rose (again), this time to 9.2%, has created quite a firestorm among Democrats and the media.  It's bad.  On a number of accounts.

First off, it's not entirely clear how the President is going to spin this deficit fiasco as a victory when even Democrats are now saying it's the President who wants to cut Social Security and Medicare.  Second, it's not clear how Democrats are going to being able to use Social Security and Medicare in the next election now that the President has taken the lead as bad-guy-in-chief.  Third, Republicans can now legitimately claim that it's Democrats who want to cut both programs, thus using the argument against us (and they already are).  And fourth, it's not clear how the President is going to avoid blame for the economy next year when it's Democrats who are now blaming the President for not just refusing to focus on unemployment, but for embracing GOP policies that will actually increase unemployment and put a damper on already lackluster growth.

The White House has never understood the power of the Netroots, the Democratic base overall, or the media - nor have they much cared.  As Joe often writes, the President and his top advisers think they're the smartest people in the world since, after all, they did win the election.  So they don't need the Netroots, the Democratic base, or the media.  (And they don't need the advice of pesky Nobel laureates like Paul Krugman and Joe Stiglitz who, oddly, keep getting it right while the White House keeps getting it wrong.)

The problem for the President is that the Netroots, the Democratic base, and the media are all key in influencing public opinion.  And all three are today blaming President Obama for the mess we're in.  Republicans don't need to run ads against the President in 2012 when the entire party is united in blaming him already.

It's a very dangerous situation.  And the White House seemingly hasn't a clue.