Calling Then Out

by Deacon Blues

One of the fundamental weaknesses in Obama’s philosophical approach to executive-level politics is his assumption that he faces rational, willing participants on the other side who want to reach consensus and make government work. Whether he is just now realizing the fallacy in that assumption, or whether his team was responsible for this terrible miscalculation is almost irrelevant now, given that he has lost a year and a good deal of political capital because of these missteps.

Just one day’s snapshots of what Democrats face in an opposition would convince anyone of the hopelessness of playing nice with such a group of cretins.

Alabama Senator Richard Shelby is damaging national security without knowing why he’s opposed to Obama’s nominees.

GOP representative Steve King defends the hoard of lobbyists who have bought the GOP caucus.

Kentucky Senator Jim Bunning rejects an extension of unemployment benefits to millions of Americans because the vote on the bill made him miss a collegiate basketball game. Well, I wish it were that craven, but instead the doddering Bunning refuses to assist millions of Americans because the Senate won't pay for these UI benefits by finding $10 billion in cuts elsewhere. Funny, he didn't show such a concern when he routinely shoveled billions to the war in Iraq and to Blackwater.

GOP representative Dean Heller thinks it is unwise to extend unemployment benefits because the unemployed will just be "hobos".

Obama and his administration need to make the case that bipartisanship only works when there are two parties committed to the people and making government work. We’ve reached a point where painting the opposition as a cancer to representative democracy is not distasteful but essential.