or you are obstructionists bent on returning to power by saying no to any important legislation that is in dire need to be implemented in order to help the American people.
President Obama and his administration are about to throw down the gauntlet and force Republicans to deal with this needed legislation or brand them as the enemy of the American people.
It's about time, Sir.
skip down with me
Bi-partisan silliness aside, the Obama administration is seemingly learning the political lesson that it's easier for Republicans to fight for power while not in charge of anything or apt to allow anything of consequence to be enacted without a tooth and nail fight.
From Peter Nicholas at The LA Times:
White House adjusts strategy on Republicans
The Obama administration aims to put members of the GOP on the spot, forcing them to compromise on issues or be portrayed as obstructionists.
As voters lose patience with political gridlock, the Obama administration is embarking on a strategy aimed at putting Republicans on the spot: Either participate in bipartisan exchanges initiated by the president, or be portrayed as the party of obstruction.
The new approach is part of a series of adjustments the White House is making as it deals with the aftermath of Republican Scott Brown's victory in Massachusetts, which cost Democrats their filibuster-proof majority in the Senate.
Right now, it's not clear voters blame one party more than the other for paralysis in Washington. A recent poll by NBC News and the Wall Street Journal showed that voters are as apt to blame congressional Republicans as Democrats for the standoff. Virtually everyone surveyed agreed there is too much infighting in the capital.
In a flurry of recent public appearances, President Obama has sent a message that he is prepared to embrace GOP ideas. But he is also signaling that if Republicans balk at compromise, he'll exact a political price.
Republicans, said White House Communications Director Dan Pfeiffer, "have a role to play in solving problems in this country, or be accountable to the electorate for choosing not to."
This truly is the crux of the biscuit, isn't it? By stopping the charade of playing a bi-partisan game of politics in D.C. and standing up to the Republican obstructionism, the Obama administration can begin telling the story as it is and make the do-nothing media have to take notice of the situation.
Voters are pissed, and well they should be. Much more could be done to bring about hoped for and necessary change in our country without the specter of just saying no for political gain while watching American's suffer without jobs, without adequate healthcare and without a third of their Congressional Representatives even trying to help them.
Kudos, Sir. Again. It's about time.