Mr. President, Bipartisanship is a prescription for failure
Image by Getty Images via Daylife
So it’s official: Republicans will attend Obama’s bipartisan health care summit. But does anybody believe this will amount to any GOP support at all? I think that’s a no.
We know why Republicans are doing this. They want political cover to say they’re trying, trying so hard to work with Democrats, but they’re just so stubborn and won’t listen. But anybody paying attention knows their motive is to kill this bill because it’s good politics. As it turns out, it is.
The question is, why is Obama doing it?
After everything that’s happened, does he actually believe there’s any chance it will amount to any Republican support? They’ve thoroughly opposed the legislation in all its many forms so far. Every time Democrats cave to their demands — and they have, on a host of provisions — Republicans move the goalpost and continue calling the bill a socialist leap.
Let’s remember the tale of the Very Moderate Olympia Snowe, whose main concern about the bill last summer was the public option. She first said she’s open to a “triggered” public option, until Democrats put it on the table and she backed out. Then Democrats removed the public option entirely — the only major progressive component — and she voted not only to filibuster the resulting bill but to declare it unconstitutional.
Again, these are the actions of the most moderate Republican senator today.
Let’s also keep in mind that the senate bill we’re talking about is a markedly centrist document. Even the highly conservative Wall Street Journal editorial board agrees that it’s virtually the same template as the 2006 Massachusetts plan, which freshly minted Republican Senator Scott Brown voted for in the state legislature and Mitt Romney signed into law. You can guess where they both stand on this bill now.
I respect that Obama seems to genuinely believe governing to the center and compromising with his opponents is the right thing to do as president. But the only compromise today’s Republican Party will accept is to follow their exact agenda or do nothing — and it’s working well for them politically. Is that something Obama is willing to embrace?
The other possible explanation is that Obama wants one last instance to prove he’s trying to work with Republicans, before he pushes Congressional Democrats to pass the bill. But all signs show he remains determined to continue pursuing bipartisanship, and that could be very problematic if he wants to get anything significant done during his presidency.
(For those interested, I discuss this more in my column today for The Guardian.)
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I’m gonna have to agree with what Dr. Jack Pitney said about this summit- that it is just for messaging and posturing and isnt about substantive policy for the most part. Yes it is nice to see any semblance of bipartisanship right now esp in that both parties do support varying levels of reform here. That being said, both could compromise more but again they both support some measured change, Repubs just not enough for Dems’ liking. Thats fine, but doesnt change the fact that MA was an unqualified failure unfortunately for those good folks and they know it. Overall, the constitutional argument cannot be ignored either, as evidenced by the letter from Florida AG McCollum, that congress cannot by definition regulate INactivity, thats just not commerce. the court is likely to agree.
[...] amazing, as I’ve pointed out, is that the GOP seems to be creeping its way back into power with little more than feisty talking [...]
Sahil, between you and Rick Ungar, why do we even need Air America anymore? Oh wait…
Needless to say, you guys again missed the point.
http://www.twiceright.com/2010/2/10/trueslant-doesnt-want-bipartisanshipshocking/in/politics/by/alex
Dont you have anything better to do than to try to grow your web traffic by linking to your crappy site all over the internet?
In response to another comment. See in context »nope.
In response to another comment. See in context »[...] Obama spent his first year trying to simultaneously do two contradictory things — please his progressive base and placate the corporations that help fill Democratic coffers. Which brings me to why his agenda is teetering, and why his and his party’s approval ratings are tumbling. [...]