I'm a big fan of Washington Monthly's Steve Benen, but I think he's missing the point with this analysis of Obama's overtures towards Republicans constitute a huge "leap of faith," and his conclusion that seeking Republican input and support is bound to backfire:
"Obama's instincts have a strong track record, but any discussion premised on the notion that congressional Republicans are credible negotiators who take policy seriously is inherently suspect. Indeed, even yesterday, Obama's efforts notwithstanding, GOP leaders, despite having very little leverage, complained the incoming administration wants to spend too much and cut taxes too little."
Actually, to be technically correct, I don't necessarily disagree with Benen's
conclusion -- that Republicans for the most part aren't credible negotiators -- but the point is to make the effort to obtain bipartisan support and then, if the Republicans show no interest, let the grown-ups handle things themselves. And who knows, maybe he'll get some Republican support in the process. Obama will never pick off more than a handful of Republicans on any given piece of legislation, but the effort of trying and being seen to try is critical to passing the ambitious agenda he laid out in the campaign. And in the end, it's those ambitious policies that I'm interested in, not symbolic victories, pointless grandstanding, or partisanship for partisanship’s sake.
-- SEBASTIAN
The African in him is the one who is making him ask, "What is the consensus?" That's the African way at its best. The good leader in Africa is the leader who keeps quiet and lets others speak and then says at the end, "I have heard you all, and this is our mind."
-- DESMOND TUTU
Harry Reid has now . . . obstinance and idiocy, helped create popular support for [Roland] Burris to not be seated. Since Burris will be seated anyway, these people will
be pissed, Reid will look like a clown for being rolled over and put in his place by [Rod] Blagojevich, and Republicans, with an assist from the Democrats who ran around calling Burris tainted for several weeks, will now claim Democrats are just as corrupt as Republicans.
It really is impressive how Reid and company got themselves into this mess. Their ability to inflict maximum pain on themselves for no gain is really unparalleled. You couldn't game out a worse scenario for the Democrats, short of Blagojevich appointing himself to the seat or Obama on tape trying to sell the seat with Blago for money to spend on hookers and blow. If you could be sued for political malpractice, I would be leading a class action suit against the Democratic leadership right now.
I swear that you have to be part masochist to be a Democrat.
-- JOHN COLE
I want to play poker with Harry Reid. Really I do.
-- JANE HAMSHER
With the reports that the Senate has capitulated to Illinois governor Rod Blagojevich, credibly accused of trying to sell the appointment of an Illinois Senate seat, by seating Roland Burris, many are stating the drama is over. I beg to differ. The drama is only beginning.
Blagojevich is going to be impeached and removed from office. His appointment of Burris will be tainted by that fact. Blagojevich is going to be indicted and tried. His appointment of Burris will be tainted by that fact.
The drama is only beginning. And it will be unpleasant drama for the Democrats now. It will be about corrupt Democrats and their appointees. Good luck with the end of the drama. The 2010 Illinois race for Senate starts today. the Democrats run a real risk of losing it if Burris is the nominee.
Jeb Bush will not be running for U.S. Senate in 2010 to replace one-term Senator Mel Martinez. I guess that means we can all collect our shoes from the Palmetto Expressway. But remember, Jeb!, we can reassemble the shoes in a matter of minutes. Oh yes, we can.
Slightly more seriously, Jeb, no great shakes in his own right, is collateral damage to the worst President in American history. You will not be able to be elected dog catcher with the last name "Bush" for a generation or two. I don't think the burning bush could get elected at the Vatican (or even in the Bible Belt!) in this environment.-- DDAY
Arlen Specter, the senior senator from Pennsylvania and longtime endangered species, launched his 2010 re-election bid on the Senate floor yesterday.
Specter's ostensible target was Eric Holder, the Obama administration's nominee for attorney general; as the ranking Republican member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, Specter vowed -- in notably harsh tones -- to give Holder a very tough time during the upcoming confirmation hearings, just to ensure that Holder will not be merely a water carrier for the Obama White House.
But, between the lines, here's what Specter was really saying: "I'm up for re-election in less than two years, which means it's time for me to suck up to the right wing of my party. I've long had a reputation as a moderate Republican, but moderate Republicans are an endangered species, especially in the Northeast; basically, the only ones left in the Senate are me and the two ladies from Maine. The right-wing Pennsylvania voters almost booted me out four years ago -- I barely survived the party primary that April, beating conservative Pat Toomey by only 1.6 percent -- and those voters would love to get me in the 2010 party primary. So this means I've gotta start sucking up to them, prove to them that I can be tough on Obama, and play the obstructionist when necessary. Better start now."
-- DICK POLMAN
Cartoon by Bob Gorrell/Creators Syndicate
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