Its adult time, yet Republicans inist on sitting at the little kids table
Kyle Curtis
Obama Calls Out Republicans, But Nobody's Home
"I am not an ideologue," the President said to the House Republicans, cocooned in their annual policy caucus in Baltimore - and the ideologues among them laughed. The President was explaining, in the midst of an unprecedented, televised "Question Time" session, that he was open to any good ideas they might have. "It doesn't make sense," he continued, that if they told him," 'You could do this cheaper and get increased results,' that I wouldn't say, 'Great.'" But the logic of this seemed to slip past the assembled legislators - and the "I am not an ideologue" bite became a derisive staple on Fox News. And therein lies the crisis of democracy that our country faces: a moderate-liberal President, willing to make judicious compromises, confronted by aRepublican Party paralyzed by cynicism and hypocrisy, undergirded by inchoate ideological fervor.
The President's hour in the lion's den was part of an aggressive week of politics - his first in many moons - that began with his well-receivedState of the Union address and proceeded through town meetings inFlorida and New Hampshire. It was marked by a new willingness to engage the opposition party with cutting humor and offers of compromise. In the State of the Union, he had offered an olive branch to the Republicans - a new commitment to budget balancing (including a bipartisan commission to reduce the deficit that Republicans had been clamoring for), a new emphasis on free trade, a total reversal of his party's traditional positions on nuclear power and offshore drilling. In Baltimore, Obama reminded the Republicans that his $787 billion stimulus package had comprised elements they'd normally support - a $288 billion middle-class tax cut, $275 billion to bail out financially strapped states and an extensive infrastructure plan. "A lot of you," he noted, dryly, "have gone to appear at ribbon cuttings for the same projects you voted against." (See the 10 greatest speeches of all time.)
The Republican response to this barrage was, well, incoherent. But in most cases the need to demonize Obama trumped the party's ideological beliefs. The budget commission - to take one flagrant example - was blocked by a group of Republican Senators who had supported or sponsored it. These included the Senate minority leader, Mitch McConnell, and the formerly virtuous John McCain, a sore loser who has reversed his position on practically everything lately. The Senate Republicans then proceeded to vote unanimously against a provision, attached to a necessary increase in the debt limit, that would force Congress to pay for every new initiative it enacts. This "paygo" provision was the law of the land when Bill Clinton was building budget surpluses (in fairness, he inherited it from the equally responsible George H.W. Bush) - and was abandoned when George W. Bush started building the alpine deficits that plague us today. The hypocrisy of all this was staggering, even for politicians.
In Baltimore, the House Republicans seemed hurt that the President wasn't listening to their "new" ideas. Unfortunately, most of these have the sophistication of policy seminars run by high school Libertarian clubs. One of their leading intellectual lights, Representative Paul Ryan of Wisconsin, has offered a Medicare reform proposal that should kill any chance he has of winning higher office: he would privatize Medicare and deliver unto the elderly vouchers that would gradually lose much of their value. This would save a boatload of money, of course ... but one wonders whether the party that gave the world "death panels" would stand behind such an all-out assault on the financial security of the nation's most devout voters.
This is quite sad. I've been a fan of a great many Republican policy initiatives in the past. I supported the Republican universal health care plan in 1993 (which Obama's current proposal resembles). I've supported lots of Republican urban-policy ideas, especially when it comes to education. I think the realism deployed overseas by Presidents like Eisenhower, Nixon (except for Vietnam) and Bush the Elder is the wisest foreign policy on offer. But the current Republican Party is about none of these. It is about tactical political gain to the exclusion of all else.
At the end of the Baltimore session, Congressman Jeb Hensarling of Texas launched a diatribe on the budget, including the fabulous claim that the Obama Administration was now running monthly deficits the size of annual Republican deficits in the past. For once, the President flashed anger in response - he interrupted Hensarling and said, "I'm sure there's a question in there somewhere." And then, calmly, he proceeded to take apart Hensarling's nonsense.
The sophistication of Obama's politics has finally caught up to the opposition: he will offer them compromise and lacerate them when they refuse to play. I suspect he'll be successful at this. But absent a responsibleopposition party, we'll still be left with a crippled democracy, lacking all ability to address our most serious problems. That is not a recipe for continued success in a competitive world.
"I've never cared for people who tell me one thing, but there actions say something totally different."Not like saying you are a "compasionate conservative" or a "fiscal conservative".On Thu, Feb 4, 2010 at 9:11 AM, Alex Romero <axm...@gmail.com> wrote:
"I've never cared for people who tell me one thing, but there actions say something totally different."I think you "cared" for Bush Jr when he was in office and even now...then after his Presidency you admitted that he was not as "fiscally conservative" as you had hoped?...but wasn't Shrub telling you he was fiscally conservative, even tho afterwards you found out he wasn't?...so you should not like Bush anymore, that two faced liar!..didn't he lie to you about a whole war?
Here is the problem when you spout BS like this Brent...you only have these rules for Liberals, you don't hold the same standard for your own party, they are allowed to lie and be two faced and crafty, and have lobbyists, and buy their own book, and cheat on their wives, and on and on and on...is it because the Pres is Black?...probably...but more because he isn't a religious wing nut...you would probably blow Steele if he asked, or break the law for Palin if she asked...only because of their party affiliation tho.
On Thu, Feb 4, 2010 at 8:41 AM, Kyle Curtis <calic...@gmail.com> wrote:
Maybe you can explain what all those health care debates on CSPAN were.
And those economists who told the President that the stimulus would keep unemployment at 8 percent? Obama should have been all like "Who are you trying to kid? You're talking to the Messiah, and my ability to see into the future means that the stimulus needs to be larger!"
And, of course, Obama rejected plans that were half as experience yet would (not) create more jobs, because he's an ideologue. Unlike those Republicans who reject their own legislation because the President might support it. They are "principled."
You claim you don't like people who say one thing and do another, yet you rooted for Scott Brown and are a slavish devotee to Sarah Palin. You claim to not like liars, but you come here every day and casually lie. Oh, and don't worry. Nobody would ever confuse you as the type of person to have a MLK portrait in your home.
Bud, Regardless of skin color, I've never cared for people who tell me one thing, but there actions say something totally different. With Obama I could give you numerous examples.Mr. No Lobbyists, now has 40 lobbyists working in senior positions.Mr. Transparency, who claimed that we'd "debate healthcare on cspan" wants to do everything behind closed doors.Mr. "The stimulus will keep unemployment below 8%", Apparently by 8% he meant 18%.Mr. "I am not an ideologue"...has proven himself to be well, an ideologue.Despite his mile high credentials and knowing more about almost any subject someone might throw at him, Obama has proven himself to either be dreadfully inaccurate, or a very bad liar. (As opposed to Clinton who was a rather crafty liar) Either way our country is suffering because of it.It's interesting that you first mention skin color. Personally, I could care less what color our President is, as long as he can move things in the right direction. but it sounds like you're claiming that Obama can't be trusted because he's black? If so, than that would make you the racist. And you'll have to quickly order a painting of MLK to place prominently in your living room.
He told students not to blow their college tuition money in Las Vegas. Sounds like sound advi...
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Kyle Curtis
Here's an interesting quote: "I firmly believe that each of the President's nominees should be afforded a straight up-or-down vote."
Why is this quote interesting? Because it was given five years ago by Sen. Richard Shelby, R-AL, who today moved to block ALL of President Obama's nominations.
Why is Sen. Shelby making this "blanket block?" Is it to protect American from Obama's creeping socialism, as exhibited by any of those nominated? Nope. Yet again, its just anotehr petulant tantrum thrown by a GOP Senator to ensure some earmarked funding for some Alabama projects are re-instated.
In other words, the once anti-earmark GOP is going to severely kneecap the ability of our country to function just for the sake of some earmarks.
Fucking children. All of them. Its actions like this which can lead to no otehr result that Sen. Reid can tell the GOP minority to kiss their demanded 60-vote majority good bye and run everything- the President's entire agenda- through a simple majority process, using reconciliation.