White House Blaming Congressional Dems Adds Fuel to the Fire

President Barack Obama makes a statement to reporters after his meeting with Democratic congressional leaders on a year-end bipartisan agreement to extend expiring tax cuts, at the Eisenhower Executive Office Building, part of the White House complex, in Washington, Monday, Dec. 6 2010 (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)

There's a southern saying that seems particularly apt at the moment in the middle of this tax cut skirmish (pretty much exclusively among Dems), and it goes like this: If you want to catch bees, use honey, not vinegar (or something like that).

If White House officials were hoping to sell the tax cut compromise President Obama struck with congressional Republicans Monday night, it's probably not a good idea to push out quotes like this one given to several news outlets, including Fox's Mike Emanuel: "It was like the Jets versus Sharks except there weren't any Jets...Senator Schumer says he wants a fight? He couldn't hold his caucus together."

A senior Democratic congressional aide, clearly angry, sent the following to Fox:"When they want to fight they know how to fight. When they want to cave they know how to blame others."

Echoing that sentiment, a Senate Democratic aide sent the following reaction to the White House blame game: "If only the White House had been able to talk this tough to Mitch McConnell, they might have not had to cave on giving tax cuts for millionaires and billionaires."

Tuesday's Senate Democratic lunch with Vice President Joe Biden should definitely be interesting, as the former senator tries to sell his colleagues on the tax cut plan.

But as the rhetoric and finger-pointing ratchets up, Democrats are starting to say that it may be essential for Obama make a personal visit to the Hill to sell his compromise to his own party.