The National Review's Jonah Goldberg said it is never wise to underestimate the degree to which President Obama launches partisan attacks out of spite for the GOP Wesdnesday on Special Report.
Goldberg said he believes often President Obama cannot "help himself" as speculation swirls about whether the president will seek to antagonize Republicans in his address between the Senate and House votes to end the shutdown:
BRET BAIER: I'm sorry, the Tea Party supporter conservatives, I know the Republican party has its own split, we've talked about it many times but they fired up some of the firebrands.
JONAH GOLDBERG: Yeah, I think that's absolutely right. I think Charles is right to a certain extent that Obama is trying to divide, [implement] a strategy of divide and conquer. In effect we have a coalition going on in the right in Congress, it's the Republicans who follow Boehner and Tea Party caucus that essentially doesn't. They'll work together on some things. What usually happens in the wake of these kinds of things, most Republicans and other circumstances, the Democrats, but in this case the Republicans, they are looking to put the fissure behind them and they are going to be more unified on the next issue that comes down the pike so those who broke with the Tea Party guys can say he look this was a unique thing. We really aren't the moderates or rinos that you claim we are. I also think it's never wise to underestimate the degree to which Obama does things for spite. There are good theoretical, strategic reasons why he might be trying to defy the Congress. But the thing about lancing the blister, whatever the phrase was, and the stuff about going after Boehner, I think the guy can't help himself often and he simply wants to twist and pinch and rub it in to the other side and say, hey, I was right all along. Sometimes it's just an I told you so from him.