(Ed Stein)
Ed Stein's commentary:
One day after President Obama and GOP leaders met and announced that they had heard the message of the midterm elections–that the people of this country wanted them to find a way to work together– Senate minority leader Mitch McConnell delivered a letter signed by all 42 Republican senators threatening to bring business to a complete halt unless Democrats agreed to extend all the Bush tax cuts. So much for cooperation. No progress on food safety, on repealing Don’t Ask Don’t Tell, on the New START treaty, on extending jobless benefits for the unemployed (Merry Christmas!) unless the wealthiest Americans keep their precious tax break.
I hope (although I doubt it) that Obama has finally learned the lesson that Republicans have absolutely no interest in compromising with Democrats on anything, and that they are willing to hold the people of this country and our allies hostage for the sole purpose of scoring partisan political points. It’s way past time for Obama and the Democrats to call their bluff. No more negotiating. No more meetings. No more attempts at compromise. And no more backing down in the face of their obstructionism. Bring everything to a vote, again and again if you have to, and force the GOP’s hand.
And please, please, PLEASE, Mr. Obama, no more Mr. nice guy.
No more Mr. Nice Guy? I'd say no more Mr. Wimp! No more backing down, backing down, backing down, like a typical... Democrat. I've come to expect this from Congress, but during the campaign, Barack Obama gave us hope for something better...
...only to turn into this:
I talked about this yesterday, but it bears repeating. The Democratic base is just completely fed up, and no wonder. Yes, I know that Obama campaigned on bipartisanship, indeed on compromising with Republicans. But compromise means that you both get something. It doesn't mean that you start out conceding half of what your opponent wants,... and then give him the other half during "negotiations."
Someone has to stand up and lead this country, and if the president won't do it, who will? Don't expect Congress to lead (as, all too often, Obama seems to expect). For one thing, it's a legislative body. The president is supposed to be the executive. And for another, the Democrats in Congress are the biggest bunch of spineless cowards ever assembled - and the president knew that when he took office (we all did).
The President of the United States has the biggest bully pulpit in the world. So why doesn't Obama use it? Face it, he'll never get Fox "News" to love him, but he might find that ordinary people will welcome some leadership, for a change. He might even persuade some of them. But only if he stands for something - something other than "can't we all just get along?"
I'm not, of course, saying that we can't compromise. Not at all. But as far as I can tell, Barack Obama is the world's worst haggler. Republicans insist that they won't compromise, no matter what. Well, maybe they will and maybe they won't. The thing is, that's usually what the other guy says at the start of negotiations. It's not necessarily true,... unless, of course, they know that you'll give them everything they want if they just hold firm.
You see, normally both sides fight for what they want. But when Obama seems to want nothing but an agreement, why would Republicans give an inch? They don't have to, and their wild-eyed supporters don't want them to. So it's win-win for them.
Meanwhile, progressives are wondering what Obama really believes, because he won't stand up and fight for anything. It's not that he compromises. Compromise is how government works. It's what we do instead of war. But that doesn't mean you don't fight for your side. You don't give up, instantly, at the slightest hint of opposition.
Obama keeps doing the same thing over and over again, somehow expecting a different result. He reminds me of Charlie Brown trying to kick the football. This time, maybe Lucy won't yank it away at the last minute. But Lucy is a Republican...
Tom Toles' commentary:
Am I a wild-eyed ideologue who has nothing good to say about the Republicans? Half true! But on Fridays I get to be wild-eyed, too, because it's RANT DAY!
So why all the fury at only one half of the broken and forlorn two-party behemoth? Here's why! Let's look at the nation's top problems and see which party is 100 percent opposed to solving them!
Unemployment at 9 percent: Can't have more stimulus of either the fiscal or monetary kind, because the GOP has whipped up their base into believing that the the deficit is more important!
The Deficit: Can't solve the deficit, because they have whipped up their base into believing that tax cuts for rich people are more important!
Climate Change: Can't reduce carbon emissions because they have whipped up their base to believe that scientists are all Three-card Monte dealers and circus clowns.
Health Care: Have to dismantle Obamacare and replace it with incoherence because they have whipped up their base to believe that Obama is Adolf Stalin, Commander of the Neptune Starfleet.
Gay Rights: Can't have those, because they have whipped up their base to believe that people who are different claim equal rights UNFAIRLY. Okay, no surprise there, the GOP has ALWAYS been like that.
The Democrats, mush-heads that they are, are willing to compromise on EVERYTHING. The GOP has whipped up their base to hate them for that, too.
Every day is "Rant Day" for me, isn't it? But I have reason, don't you think? Look at that list of problems. The Republicans are clearly on the wrong side of every single one. It's not even close. I don't see how you could rationally debate otherwise. And some of the GOP positions aren't even popular with voters.
So what's the problem with the Democrats? This isn't a difficult situation, except for the fact that the economy is so bad for all but the rich (and that's pretty clearly the result of Republican policies, too). So why can't Democrats grow a pair?
Yesterday, mostly, I railed at Congressional Democrats. Today, it's Obama's turn. Yes, the Democrats in Congress are completely spineless. It's just astonishing to me that they won't even take an advantage the GOP hands them on a platter. I'm still just blown away by the fact that Democrats are losing on tax cuts for the very wealthiest of Americans. How in the world did those people ever get elected to public office?
But we've known for years how cowardly Congressional Democrats are. It's certainly no surprise. But in 2008, Barack Obama promised us change. OK, he was never as liberal as his supporters wished. But no politician ever agrees with me 100%. And Barack Obama looked like a fighter. He was certainly eloquent. And he even took on the hot topic of race relations in America with intelligence and candor.
So why won't he fight? Why won't he stand for something? Why won't he lead? OK, he may not win,... but he's not winning now! And he may not get Congressional Democrats, spineless as they are, to guard his back. But on the other hand, he hasn't given them a chance for that, either. They're certainly not going to lead, but they might, some of them, be bold enough to follow along behind, timidly, at a distance. Either way, just act like a President!
As you can tell from these cartoons - and there are plenty more - I'm not the only one thinking this. Is Obama in such a bubble that he can't hear what his supporters are saying?
Yes, I still support him, but rather than supporting him enthusiastically, as I did in 2008, I'm starting to see him as the least objectionable of my choices. Jebus, I guess he is a Democrat! That's pretty much my standard opinion of all* of them.
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* Well, I did like Howard Dean, but I guess that ship has sailed (through no fault of his own).
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