Reporters love the bipartisan theme, but ignore the GOP's zealous determination to see Obama fail

[babylonsister]

http://www.americablog.com/2009/07/reporters-love-bipartisan-theme-but.html

Reporters love the bipartisan theme, but ignore the GOP's zealous determination to see Obama fail
by Joe Sudbay (DC) on 7/22/2009 11:14:00 AM


Sheryl Gay Stolberg, White House correspondent for the NY Times, thinks bipartisanship is Obama's responsibility:

Mr. Obama came into office promising a more bipartisan Washington tone, which he has so far been unable to achieve. His actions in the coming weeks on health care may determine his long-term relationship not only with Republicans but also with his fellow Democrats.

The thing about being bipartisan is that it takes two sides to tango. In today's GOP, there's only one Republican, Olympia Snowe, who really is committed to working with Obama. One GOP Senator. That's really about it from their side.

I sometimes wonder if the inside-the-beltway reporters just can't get their heads around the reality that the GOP's mission to make Obama fail. See, that interferes with their warped view of the world, that somehow, at the end of the day, everyone in DC really likes each other. And, many of the DC media corps really like some of the most offensive GOPers as "people." It's kind of like the build up to the Iraq war. George Bush and top officials in his administration lied right to the faces of the White House press corps. Karl Rove realized reporters were patsies. The reporters couldn't believe that Bush and company would lie to them about a war.

I have no doubt that Republican operatives are feeding reporters stories about Obama's failure to be more bipartisan even as Senator DeMint maintains his view that he wants to break Obama. The "fail" message was started by GOP Leader Rush Limbaugh and echoed by most GOPers, including RNC Chair Michael Steele. That's the GOP agenda, even if it means harm to our nation. But, don't expect the traditional media to cover that part of the story. Bipartisanship is easier and doesn't make the GOP mad.

[Proud Liberal Dem]

1. For all the Repukes' (and pundit's) *appeal* for bipartisanship

There is not much of it (if any) being practiced by almost any of them. Obama and our side in general seem willing, if not perhaps overly eager, to water down legislation and/or "compromise" with the Repukes and "Blue Dogs" only to see them continue to bitterly (and disingenuously) complain that Obama and the rest of the Democrats are STILL cutting them out and not being *bipartisan* (enough) and they end up voting against and/or filibustering the legislation to death anyway. SOMEBODY needs to call them out on it.

I support bipartisanship and compromise but ONLY when both sides are working together in good faith. The other side, aside from one or two people, are NOT working with us in good faith and I think that at a certain point we need to just give up working with them and focus on doing what we feel is best since the other side is about obstruction at this point and NOT about actually DOING anything. Why are those people even STILL getting a paycheck?

[uponit7771]

2. The non existant dems don't call them to task on it either

[babylonsister]

3. But Obama did, and Gibbs did. Remember the waterloo remark? nt

[Cha]

4. Reporters do what they have

to in order to bow down to their corporatemasters.

Walter Cronkite sure wouldn't be asking stupid disingenuous questions about "bi-partisan", his jeans or if he should take a vacation.

[AspenRose]

5. I am sick and tired of corporate media.