Same ol' GOP gotcha
Everyone agrees that without a massive stimulus package this country will sink into something nearing The Great Depression. Yet it seems the GOP would rather root for failure.
President Obama has his sterling personal approval ratings on his side, as well as trying to cross the aisle and work with the Republicans...just as the American people wanted him to do, just as he promised he would.
So, Obama can say that he tried to compromise over the tax cuts and give them what they wanted...but the House Republicans still refused to come together in a moment of national crisis.
BTW, about those tax cuts - it must really stink to lose your job and then get a tax cut on all that money you're not going to make.
"Obama sets himself a high political bar. The economic stimulus bill is his first big test in replacing ‘old habits’ with less partisanship in Washington."
From csmonitor.com: "President Obama did not win a single Republican vote in the House of Representatives for his giant economic stimulus bill this week. So does that mean he wasted his time reaching out, to an unusual degree, to Republicans?
Not yet, anyway. By making very public overtures – traveling to Capitol Hill, inviting Republican members to the White House more than once, including to a cocktail party after Wednesday’s vote – he has already distinguished his administration sharply from those in recent memory, analysts say. And he’s begun work on the difficult task of remaking the highly partisan culture of Washington, as promised in his campaign.[..]"
Now, I know there are problems with the stimulus, the price alone makes me dizzy...but there's a whole other dynamic playing out that's going to land squarely on the backs of the Republican Party.
Those Republicans who voted against the stimulus? Just wait until their constituents learn that their representative in Congress voted against creating/saving 4 million jobs.
You would think that a party who has lost close to 60 House seats over the past two elections might get a clue.
Stephen Colbert had a great idea. The Republicans should refuse any of the bail out funds being spent in their districts. Great idea - let's spend all the stimulus funds in Democratic Congressional Districts.
House Republicans went all the way when they stiffed Obama on the stimulus vote...and now they don't seem to know what to do. Then we have the Senate, who are more realistic about how the public will react if they see their Senators playing partisan politics as usual with the new president.
I feel like I'm watching a chess match.
In the middle of all this Obama is unruffled and remains tremendously popular. Even though he gave up things, compromised over the tax cuts for nothing. It's very easy for the Republicans to look small next to him right now.
The right-wing has become so used to bad-planning and lack of foresight in the White House...it must surprise them that Obama is streaking past them in his running shoes...while they slog around in lead shoes.
Just think...we finally have a president who thinks about 'Step Two' and even 'Step Three' before acting!
It is SO refreshing...and it will take some time, but I've got a feeling we're going to see mud all over the faces of such rabid righties as Limbaugh, Hannity, O'Reilly, etc.
They still don't know who they're messin' with. Prime Example - President Obama HELPING to declare Rush as the right-wing leader.
I'm still laughing at how positively brilliant that was.
