Obama rips politically motivated GOP 'obstruction'

[sabra]

Source: CNN

Washington (CNN) - President Barack Obama tore into the Republican opposition on Capitol Hill Wednesday, blaming the GOP for what he claimed is politically-motivated opposition on virtually every issue.

Democrats have been willing to incorporate Republican ideas on health care and other issues, he said, but Republicans have not been willing to do the same.

Addressing a gathering of Senate Democrats, Obama promised to "call (Republicans) out when (Democrats) extend a hand and get a fist in return."

Senate Republicans, he said, have employed the filibuster more over the past year than in all of the 1950s and 1960s combined. The GOP's strategy has been "twenty years of obstruction packed into one," he said.

Read more: http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2010/02/03/obama-rips-politically-motivated-gop-obstruction/?fbid=LnJtGCUQkU4

[ixion]

1. and then he invited them over for a beer and a ball game

:crazy:

[jaxx]

2. Smart thing to do...keeps them on the defense.

[yowzayowzayowza]

11. ...and affirmatively humanizes 'em ... keeps the high moral ground.

[Gman]

3. Keep your friends close...

[MUAD_DIB]

4. Can't he just do some old-fashioned blackmail?

All you need is a few (R)s to cross the isle. Can't they find dirt on any of them?

[Qutzupalotl]

6. There's probably dirt,

but leveraging that is not as easy as it sounds. For one thing, it's ethically dubious, so Obama wouldn't go for it. For another, it's bad PR. Plus, it's hard to keep secrets in Washington; what's to stop the opposition from using the same evidence to win them back? And of course if the "dirt" is widely rumored already, there's no motivation to switch. So even if the plan succeeds, all you'd wind up with is a DINO who doesn't really want to be there. Best to let them see the light on their own by showing why our ideas and principles are better.

[MUAD_DIB]

8. I was thinking more of the Rs. Obama doesn't have to do it.

C'mon. We need some good old fashioned politics. ;)

[MindandSoul]

5. Yes, and that's where he is so much smarter than all of the GOP combined!

[backtomn]

7. Nice.

I don't even need a reason to criticize the repubs, but with 60 seats in the Senate and a majority in the House, we didn't need them. Let's put the blame where it needs to go. Even now, we should be able to make a deal with one of the Senators from Maine to GET THIS DONE. Why haven't we??

[orwell]

9. Um...

...59 seats in the Senate.

[Abq_Sarah]

10. A little tired of excuses....

In the world of politics, when you need a few votes you have to cut some unpalatable deals. With major legislation like this, unless you have a supermajority, the legislation you pass isn't going to have a lot of resemblance to your initial goals. Both sides are going to have ground they refuse to concede and a complete lack of trust in the other side.

Personally, I believe it was a tactical error to try to push through a sweeping agenda immediately. I would have preferred more work on stabilizing the economy and job creation and then push forward after the Nov elections.

[AlinPA]

12. What he is saying here applies to some of the Democrats as well-Lincoln, Bayh, Nelson.

We can include Lieberman with the republicans.