Obstructionism

[Texas74]

Hot Air Blog Archive The “war” on Barack Obama? Oh, please

The normally sensible Joe Gandelman links to the normally hysterical Andrew Sullivan today to complain about the supposed “war” launched against Barack Obama by the Republicans. Neither man considers the fact that Republicans — and a great many Americans — have serious questions about the economic policies of Obama and the Democratic leadership in Congress, but instead just have it out for Obama personally. Sullivan:

This much is now clear. Their clear and open intent is to do all they can, however they can, to sabotage the new administration (and the economy to boot). They want failure. Even now. Even after the last eight years. Even in a recession as steeply dangerous as this one. There are legitimate debates to be had; and then there is the cynicism and surrealism of total political war. We now should have even less doubt about what kind of people they are. And the mountain of partisan vitriol Obama will have to climb every day of the next four or eight years.

Gandelman:

Some will quibble with how Sullivan words this, but it is indeed increasingly difficult to make an argument that the Republican party is acting in good faith with the White House and the American people as it continues to play to its base.

Good faith? When exactly did the Democrats show good faith? This bill started out by locking Republicans out of its draft, as well as many Democrats through Nancy Pelosi’s refusal to return to regular order in the House. This is the most expensive bill ever considered by the Congress, by far the most expensive project ever considered, and yet the Democrats have failed to allow any meaningful debate or access to amend the bill. In fact, they have yet to provide the bill to some members, but K Street already has its copies. Yet they want to force a vote today on a bill comprising 1500 pages of legisation, with an initial cost of $785 billion and a ten-year cost of over $3 trillion without giving people a chance to read it — and the Republicans are acting in bad faith?
Joe references Rush Limbaugh as proof of the Republican war against Obama, but that’s absurd. When Republican Congressmen and Senators start calling for Obama to be impeached, like we have heard from their Democratic counterparts for almost the entire span of the Bush administration, then you can cry about a “war” on Obama. Dissent on policy is not war, gentlemen. It’s America.
And if Joe wants to complain about Rush Limbaugh, where was he during the entirety of Keith Olbermann’s sorry career of supposed news anchorship, which consisted of nothing but anti-Bush diatribes?
There certainly is legitimate debate to be had, and especially on Porkulus. Sullivan’s argument is apparently that none dare challenge The One, lest it be considered a “war”. Well, man up, because we’re going to challenge every bad policy that comes out of the Obama administration for the next four years — because that’s what people do in democracies when they disagree

This is an interesting read and more succinctly states a couple of points I have been trying to make in posts on this board.

Demonizing Bush and shouting down every move he made with hyperbole is ok but taking a policy stand against a single Obama policy is partisan sour grapes. This is how the media will frame the arguments from here on out. No matter how reasoned and resolute republicans stand on principle, they will be portrayed as mean spirited partisan hacks, bitter about democrat control in government, bitter that the "people have rejected their ideas and they are reduced to petty obstructionist tactics to stay relevant" Its coming.

Republicans must keep pounding away to get the word out and they need a voice that transcends this nonsense and white noise.

[acolyte]

Texas74 said:

Demonizing Bush and shouting down every move he made with hyperbole is ok but taking a policy stand against a single Obama policy is partisan sour grapes.





The demoncraps never missed one day of butchering Pres. Bush. From the first day to his last day in office.

DEMONCRAPS =

[JB31]

I think that at some point, the fiscal liberals are just doing this to spite the fiscal conservatives. Because there's no way they can honestly believe that what they're doing now is anything other than wasteful and risky.

[Jay]

Once again this only proves how right talk radio has been over the years. This was predicte on Rush, Savage, Lavin etc, long before Barack was elected. This is the the Barack presidency defined. It will be like this for 4 years and if re-elected, 8 years. This is how the inexperiance rule. The blame game.

[warpig]

If the financial crisis last through fall, the voters will be looking for blood in 2010.