From Politico:
President Barack Obama traveled to one of the most liberal enclaves in the country to deliver some of his harshest criticism yet of the Republican Party attacking the GOP on points where Democrats sense vulnerability, such as energy legislation and immigration reform.
Noting that sometimes conservative activists portray him with a Hitler moustache, Obama seemed to put to rest any notion that there could be broad-based bipartisan cooperation something he promised to try to bring to Washington during his 2008 campaign.
Sounds like an overdue correction. I am a big fan of true bipartisanship, with progressive ideas bolstered by conservative suggestions. That, of course, is a Platonic ideal, and it doesn't exist in Washington in any meaningful way. Once Obama was elected, the GOP attempted to just say no to everything as a political strategy.
What puts that into perspective is the recent foray into GOP Senate world:
President Barack Obama traveled to Capitol Hill to have lunch with Senate Republicans, a rare event. By most accounts, it didn’t go particularly well, leaving some wondering where things go from here. Manu Raju of Politico uses “tense” and “testy” as the adjectives of choice:
President Barack Obama battled with Senate Republicans in a tense closed-door meeting Tuesday, facing tough criticism from his GOP adversaries — including John McCain — on issues ranging from health care to border security.
Senators and other sources inside the meeting described the gathering as “testy” and “direct” — and Sen. Bob Corker (R-Tenn.) accused Obama of acting two-faced by asking for GOP support on regulatory reform only to push forward with a bill supported mainly by Democrats. Others felt that the meeting may have made already tense relations between the two parties even worse....The White House said that Obama made a plea for bipartisanship on some of the country’s most pressing issues — and he urged Republicans to stand up to their base and compromise with the Democratic Party....
Republicans came away believing Obama wants to do too much, too fast.
One gets the strong impression that doing anything is too much, too fast for Republicans. Want examples of what they really think?
Jim DeMint (7/09):
A source sends over some audio of the quote of the week — GOP Senator Jim DeMint on a conference call, saying that if Republicans and conservatives stop Obama on health care reform, it will “break him” and be Obama’s “Waterloo”:
Mitch McConnell (3/10):
Before the health care fight, before the economic stimulus package, before President Obama even took office, Senator Mitch McConnell, the Republican minority leader, had a strategy for his party: use his extensive knowledge of Senate procedure to slow things down, take advantage of the difficulties Democrats would have in governing and deny Democrats any Republican support on big legislation.
That being the case, maybe Indiana Jones had a better sense than political reporters – always looking for the bipartisan ideal (that doesn't exist in the real world) – that in a "fair fight" of ideas, don't bring a sword when the other guy insists on using a revolver, and expect to get anything done:
Keep this in mind, as you plan strategy:
American voters also say 42 - 36 percent that they would vote for a Democrat rather than a Republican in this year's Congressional elections, reversing a 44 - 39 percent Republican lead March 24.
Maybe the country just wants Democrats to act like Democrats, and get something done.