TheoHuxtable.. Posted February 21, 2010 Share Posted February 21, 2010 About time. The "patty cake" and "reaching out" thing didn't work. All these Republican cowards did was say "no" to everything, foment anti-Obama fear & hatred amongst conservative voters, call him a socialist, and hope he failed at everything. Play hard ball with these GOP maggots and stop being a sissy. You don't even need 60 votes to get shit passed. You don't need "Republican support". Do it with 51-59 votes through reconciliation (Bush & Cheney got things done this way numerous times). http://www.latimes.com/news/nation-and-world/la-na-obama-strategy21-2010feb21,0,112793.story 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. By Peter Nicholas February 21, 2010 Reporting from Washington 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." Republicans don't see Obama's overtures as sincere. They view with particular suspicion Obama's invitation to hash out differences on healthcare at a televised meeting Thursday. Republicans who boycott the gathering risk looking obstinate. But showing up isn't a winning strategy either, some Republicans caution. They fear the format is one that guarantees the president will appear the statesman. "When you're the president, you have the loudest microphone and clearest TV camera," said Mark Corallo, a Republican strategist. "You get to stand up and look reasonable, bipartisan and leader-like. And anyone else ends up . . . looking like a petty partisan who is just interested in saying no. There's no upside for the Republicans in even attending the healthcare summit." Obama has been busy on other fronts positioning himself as the seeker of bipartisan solutions to the nation's problems. Last week he named GOP former Sen. Alan Simpson of Wyoming as co-chairman of a commission that will look for ways to curb the trillion-dollar deficit. He also announced billions of dollars in federal loan guarantees promoting nuclear power, an energy source that many Republicans see as a solution to the country's electricity needs. In a recent news conference, Obama said he was open to giving ground in exchange for GOP support for his energy plan, which is foundering in the Senate. "I'm willing to move off some of the preferences of my party in order to meet them halfway," the president said. "But there's got to be some give from their side as well." An administration official said that in coming months, the White House would be quicker to point out instances of what he described as Republican intransigence. Though the White House has long believed that Republicans were committed to derailing Obama's agenda, officials will be more aggressive in making the case. "The Massachusetts election obliterated the argument that we could [govern] all on our own," said the administration official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak publicly. "What we're doing now is actively reaching out and demonstrating our interest in bipartisanship -- but not passively standing by if Republicans are not willing to meet us halfway." The White House will be relying on a wider network of people to drive home its message. As part of its retooled communications strategy, more Cabinet secretaries will be in front of the cameras to defend the administration's record. The plan is already on display. Cabinet members fanned out across the country on the anniversary of the $787-billion stimulus package being signed into law, touting projects now underway and countering GOP criticism that the bill was a waste of money that did little to curb unemployment. Last year, by contrast, Obama often carried the administration's message alone. "There was a reluctance to hand off the ball," said the White House official. peter.nicholas@ latimes.com Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zig Posted February 21, 2010 Share Posted February 21, 2010 not a good idea. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CALIgula Posted February 23, 2010 Share Posted February 23, 2010 well, Obama tried to work with them, but only got hit with criticism. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Smart Posted February 23, 2010 Share Posted February 23, 2010 not a good idea. Why not? I read the other day how Dem's are stockpiling C-Span footage of Rep's obstruction on the floor. I can't wait until the mid-term election ad season warms up! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BaKte Posted February 24, 2010 Share Posted February 24, 2010 not a good idea. enlighten us Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zig Posted February 24, 2010 Share Posted February 24, 2010 do you really think any of the Republicans will first of all care about having a negative light shed on them (like they already don't, or haven't in the past) or will change their votes because of it and start cooperating? please... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheoHuxtable.. Posted February 25, 2010 Author Share Posted February 25, 2010 do you really think any of the Republicans will first of all care about having a negative light shed on them (like they already don't, or haven't in the past) or will change their votes because of it and start cooperating? please... The point is not to get them to "care", the point is to get shit done. Enough with the bipartisanship. The People voted Republicans out of Congress & the White House for a reason. It's time to act. "Bipartisanship shouldn't come at the price of progress."* - Rep. (D) Alan Grayson *paraphrased Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CALIgula Posted February 25, 2010 Share Posted February 25, 2010 "the opposite of pro is con, therefore the opposite of progress is congress" -anonymous Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nsmbfan Posted February 25, 2010 Share Posted February 25, 2010 that was George Carlin the problem with our system of checks and balances is that it produces a stalemated government. the biggest issues of our time (abortion, healthcare, <insert hot button topic here>, etc) are being drawn out into the worlds largest jerk session. everyone agrees we need healthcare for everyone, nobody can agree on a format. how bout we just try something, and in 4 years, if it doesn't work, we don't renew funding for that social program. MUCH HOW EVERYTHING ELSE WORKS IN POLITICS ANYWAYS. even our mighty bill of rights needed ammending. so lets at least do SOMETHING! i back progress, and if Obama is progressing healthcare, I back Obama. i need insurance because i don't feel comfortable going all out when skateboarding without health insurance. wouldnt it be nice if we had SOMETHING rather than nothing? i mean fuck it, start small if ya have to. fuck our politicians and their stalemate producing form of democracy. we need to upgrade our democracy from a presidential to a parliamentary form of government. American exceptionalism might prevent any change at all, and full blown revolution will only be powered by a crisis situation (unemployment looks like). change. thats the word. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MoonsOfSulkendastron Posted April 23, 2010 Share Posted April 23, 2010 you cats are kind of naive... think about what the fuck you are advocating about what you want the U.S. to look like.. brainwashed lib gahhhhhbaaagggeee bro Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ILOTSMYBRAIN Posted April 23, 2010 Share Posted April 23, 2010 I heard Casek is going to cop a pair of those knee socks. At least that's the rumor. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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