Republicon Obstructionism comes back to bite them in their elephant's ass~

[Cha]

>SNIP<

"By any reasonable measure, this is a major victory for President Obama, who made little secret of the fact he considered the treaty his top priority for the lame-duck session.

But let's not forget that Republican opponents of New START, following an incoherent strategy, ended up making this an even bigger win for Obama than it otherwise would have been. Adam Serwer had a great item on this yesterday, which rings true.

Early in the Obama administration, Senate Republicans settled on a strategy of total procedural obstruction.... The problem is, the New START treaty is about as controversial as a tuna salad sandwich. Not only has the current military leadership and every living Republican Secretary of State endorsed it, but former Republican national security stalwarts such as Brent Scowcroft are "baffled" by the GOP's decision to obstruct ratification. New START is also popular -- a CNN poll from November shows three quarters of Americans support ratifying the treaty.

If New START is ratified, the only reason it'll be considered an Obama victory is because Republicans decided to oppose it without any real reason for doing so. If the Senate had simply ratified the treaty without any fuss, Obama might have gotten a few days of positive press, but it wouldn't have been treated as a major political success. Because Senate Republicans turned ratification into a huge partisan brawl, a Democratic president renewing an agreement with Russia designed by Republican presidents now looks like a massive victory for the administration."[/b]

>END SNIP<

>MORE<
—Steve Benen 3:55 PM Permalink | Trackbacks | Comments (25)
http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/archive...hp#1877603

[There Is No Spoon]

Reptilian obstructionism indeed.

[Cha]

(12-22-2010 11:16 PM)There Is No Spoon Wrote:  Reptilian obstructionism indeed.

This is the Height of Irony! Something to hold up for the ages..as in "There's a freakin' moral in this story Somewhere!"

[firedupdem]

Great Points in this article. Obama has handled the opposition party extremely well. While the left screams "weakness" etc. the President managed to push through a great deal of good in the last two years. Thanks to Harry Reid and Nancy Pelosi too!

[Capn Sunshine]

(12-22-2010 11:28 PM)firedupdem Wrote:  While the left screams "weakness" etc.

Goddam it, it's NOT "The Left"!!!

It's the EXTREME LEFT

aka "Firebaggers"

[BlueCaliDem4DFP]

(12-23-2010 01:23 AM)Capn Sunshine Wrote:  

(12-22-2010 11:28 PM)firedupdem Wrote:  While the left screams "weakness" etc.

Goddam it, it's NOT "The Left"!!!

It's the EXTREME LEFT

aka "Firebaggers"

So true! I'm a Liberal Democrat, a member of the Left, but the ultra left consider me the enemy. I have to say I'm really shocked by this phenomenon.

I guess idealism trumps pragmatism with some these days. Firebaggers. lol Good one.

They think they're holding our President and the Democratic Party accountable, but all they're doing is strengthening the RepubliCONs. Look what happened in the mid-term elections! Where were all those FireDogLakers and Sirotans? Why didn't they come out, en masse, and vote to support the ONLY party that's closest to their ideals? Instead, the Professional Left hammered Democrats and the President over and over again without a peep about blatant RepubliCON obstructionism. The result is, we lost the House and several seats in the Senate.

Their rabid idealism never fails to astound me.

[Joan Ruaiz]

(12-23-2010 01:50 AM)BlueCaliDem4DFP Wrote:  Instead, the Professional Left hammered Democrats and the President over and over again without a peep about blatant RepubliCON obstructionism. The result is, we lost the House and several seats in the Senate.

Their rabid idealism never fails to astound me.

Indeed, you've got them pegged!
So it is going to be up to us to do what could have been done instead of scolding, whining and screaming; we are going to have to support the Administration, while still letting them know what we want done.

I think that part of Barack Obama's strategy has always been community based. That it is the people that can make themselves heard on any issue, and provide the public support required to pass what we want passed. He's always said he couldn't do it by himself, and I think he meant it. He wants us to insist on what we want by forming the public opinion we need to have, and he'll do the rest. Instead, hours upon hours were spent fighting him, and he was on our side all along. It's as though some figured they could just demand what they wanted, and if it didn't get done straight away, their collective fingers pointing solely at Obama was the only solution they could muster...cause that's all they ever did with Bush. They didn't realize that Progress takes work, not simply words shouted out in anger. We've got all of the tools that we need as long as we also put out the energy and stamina required.

[Andy823]

Quote:Indeed, you've got them pegged!
So it is going to be up to us to do what could have been done instead of scolding, whining and screaming; we are going to have to support the Administration, while still letting them know what we want done.

I think that part of Barack Obama's strategy has always been community based. That it is the people that can make themselves heard on any issue, and provide the public support required to pass what we want passed. He's always said he couldn't do it by himself, and I think he meant it. He wants us to insist on what we want by forming the public opinion we need to have, and he'll do the rest. Instead, hours upon hours were spent fighting him, and he was on our side all along. It's as though some figured they could just demand what they wanted, and if it didn't get done straight away, their collective fingers pointing solely at Obama was the only solution they could muster...cause that's all they ever did with Bush. They didn't realize that Progress takes work, not simply words shouted out in anger. We've got all of the tools that we need as long as we also put out the energy and stamina required.

Exactly! If the people speak out they can show the party what they really want and can help the president, and congress see what needs to be done. Attacking the president is "NOT" how it works, and only make him look weaker when his own party is complaining about him not doing enough, when he has done more than any president in decades during their first two years!

It's the republicans we need to address our anger at, not the president. He can only do so much and unless congress backs him, nothing will get done, and when his own party in congress fights him, it makes things even worse!

[firedupdem]

(12-23-2010 01:23 AM)Capn Sunshine Wrote:  

(12-22-2010 11:28 PM)firedupdem Wrote:  While the left screams "weakness" etc.

Goddam it, it's NOT "The Left"!!!

It's the EXTREME LEFT

aka "Firebaggers"

okay!

You're right!

[Ikonoklast]

It is my sincerest hope that the Republican leadership retains obsructionism as their political policy. It will only lead to their being increasingly described as 'Do-Nothings' who stand for little and propose legislation only sanctioned by their billionaire benefactors.

The Teabaggers will be left holding a soggy bag, as they soon come to realize that not one piece of legislation put forth by the Republicans in Congress will have anything to do with improving their lot in life, it will in fact, pick their pockets and hand it over to the Leisure Class.

The country WANTS to move forward, the country WANTS to see progress on every front, economic, social, and political; the country WANTS the government to work...it is only a very vocal minority that has a big megaphone that desires anything else.

How can a person say they love America on one hand, but on the other hand wants its government to fail, reconcile that logically?

People are starting to notice who it is that is getting things done.

Mr. Boehner will soon find out is far easier to be against everything, than proposing workable solutions to problems that just won't go away.

Mr. McConnell is currently studying how his milkshake was drunk up. All of it.

[Cha]

(12-23-2010 07:49 AM)Ikonoklast Wrote:  It is my sincerest hope that the Republican leadership retains obsructionism as their political policy. It will only lead to their being increasingly described as 'Do-Nothings' who stand for little and propose legislation only sanctioned by their billionaire benefactors.

The Teabaggers will be left holding a soggy bag, as they soon come to realize that not one piece of legislation put forth by the Republicans in Congress will have anything to do with improving their lot in life, it will in fact, pick their pockets and hand it over to the Leisure Class.

The country WANTS to move forward, the country WANTS to see progress on every front, economic, social, and political; the country WANTS the government to work...it is only a very vocal minority that has a big megaphone that desires anything else.

How can a person say they love America on one hand, but on the other hand wants its government to fail, reconcile that logically?

People are starting to notice who it is that is getting things done.

Mr. Boehner will soon find out is far easier to be against everything, than proposing workable solutions to problems that just won't go away.

Mr. McConnell is currently studying how his milkshake was drunk up. All of it.

Mr Boehner will be crying all the time and our country will want Nancy back! They won't believe those ugly lies the next election cycle.

[Treestar]

Thanks, Cha, that is a great piece. And it makes a very good point. Republicans love to ratchet up the drama. Hopefully that will begin to bite them in the ass as the voters get tired of it.

[MineralMan]

If the Republicans continue their obstructionism next year and into 2012, the voters are going to notice who's keeping things from happening. This will prove very beneficial in 2012. Led by Boehner and the teabaggers, this should be a very good year for Democrats to point out the total negativity of the Republican Party, and their role in holding everyone back. I see lots of promise in this.

[OregonBlue]

I agree. I think they will overplay their hand. I think the voters will get very tired of them. If the Senate changes the rules and they are forced to actually filibuster, and there's one every week while they try to blackmail the president, I think it will not go well for them.

[Beetwasher]

You know what's great? Republicans are going ro be so angry about getting whupped by obama's lame duck they're going to double down on their idiotic obstruction. In the face of their ultimate humiliarion rhey are incapable of doing anything else. Come the new congress they will be in a blind frothing rage.