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Friday, February 13, 2009

Forget Bipartisanship!

The $787 billion stimulus package agreed to by conferees passed the House today and again, not one Republican voted for it. Despite the cocktail party and the Superbowl party, lunch and assorted other presidential overtures, the Republicans who appeared to be smiling at Obama's platitudes about bipartisanship were clearly instead baring their teeth. I say forget 'em!

Granted, as Paul Krugman and others have noted, the bill may not be a cure all, but surely it can't make matters worse! I think Obama's playing too nice, he's hewing to closely to the "we are not red states, we are not blue states" line he espoused in 2004. Evidently, the Republicans want to remain distinguishable. He needs to remember his swagger, quit going out trying to recreate the campaign experience (did you see the woman in the crowd in Elkhart mouth "I love you, Barack!" on The Daily Show?)and kick some ass instead!

President Obama should heed Larry Sabato's advice:
The president deserves great credit for reaching out to Republicans in Cabinet appointments, frequent consultation and some substantive compromise on the stimulus bill. President Obama read public opinion correctly: Americans want civil debate between the parties, and that aspect of bipartisanship should be continued.

Yet pleasantries should never be exchanged at the cost of an electoral mandate. Obama secured a higher percentage of the vote than any Democratic presidential nominee since 1860, save for Franklin Roosevelt and Lyndon Johnson. Splitting the difference on issues of principle waters down his mandate and dilutes the changes his supporters expect him to deliver. We have a two-party system, not a one-party scheme, and the fundamental differences between Democrats and Republicans create clear choices for the electorate. Obama should succeed or fail based on enactment of the Democratic platform. Voters will be the judge of Democrats' handiwork in 2010 and 2012. Leave "national unity" governments to parliamentary nations, and let the American two-party system work.

President Obama, it's time to 'go medieval' on 'em. They're not going to like you, anyway, so just do the right thing for the millions who do. We're much more concerned with redressing the numerous wrongs of the Bush Administration than we are with your doing it in a bipartisan fashion.

3 comments:

BP said...

It just goes to show, You can bring a republican to knowledge, but you can't make him think!

I have lived through a few administrations. Most of the republicans in power are there for the prestige and power, not for the people or the future.

Better Panic

Anonymous said...

Actually, that woman was at the presser in Ft. Myers, Fl - not Elkhart.

"I have lived through a few administrations. Most of the republicans in power are there for the prestige and power, not for the people or the future."

Now that is the most idiotic statement I have ever read. ALL politicians - Dem and Repub are only in it for the power. They loaded up this bill with pork in order to gain political points. The problem is that this bill will indeed do some serious damage to this country as reported by the democratic led CBO. Your dems have ignored the smartest economists in this country and their own CBO and pushed this thing through without reading it.

You are stuck on an us versus them thing and it's going to cost all of us in the long run. If you want to make a difference you should be asking yourselves why Obama is now backing out of every single promise he made of transparency, no lobbyists in his administration, and the most ethical administration - yet - he has a tax dodger overseeing the IRS.

While I might agree that the republicans are posturing - I'm glad they voted against the bill. It was the right thing to do even if they did it for the wrong reasons.

Any congress member or senator who passes and votes yes on ANY bill without reading it is being disingenuous to the constituents. We should be asking Obama where the accountability is on this bill since he promised it.

Whether you realize it or not - this bill has just created a very large "Big Brother" department in the Federal Government - it starts on page 229 of this bill - I suggest you go read it. The government will have total and complete access to your medical records and will be able to make decisions about your healthcare and treatment plans. But, hey - you guys want nationalized medicine - that's the first step.

Obama has become the actual "big brother" that you guys thought GWB was.

In case you're wondering - yes - I am reading the actual bill myself. I've been working on that thing since it came out this morning. I suggest you do the same so you can see what real freedoms you are losing as compared to what freedoms you perceived you lost under GWB.

Peter Clare said...

The tale of the tape will be if the thing works. There are economics who say it will not and there are economics who say it will. In three years Obama will either be hero or goat. Republicans are betting on goat, Dems are betting on hero.

I think it will have a positive effect and I think the programs that are in the bill are useful things for the country. I suppose those who disagree, would not want to see the "pork" in any circumstances.

MtnGrl is right, Obama should be more of a politicians with the Repubs and less a Statesman. That effort is wasted.

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