Republicans Willing To Take The Risk Of Doing Absolutely Nothing Constructive

[babylonsister]

http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/archives/individual/2010_01/022171.php

WILLING TO TAKE THE RISK.... Congressional Republicans decided quite a while ago to reject compromise at all costs and block the Democratic majority from governing. Sam Stein reported yesterday that some in the GOP are starting to second guess the strategy.

Some senior Republican strategists and party veterans are beginning to fret that the party's refusal to work with President Obama, even when he crosses onto their own philosophical turf, could ultimately erode some of the political gains they've made this past year.

Over the past two weeks, Republicans in Congress have united in nearly unanimous opposition to a series of ideologically conservative policy suggestions, starting with a commission to reduce the deficit, a pay-go provision that would limit new expenditures, and a spending freeze on non-military programs.

Opposition has usually been based on specific policy concerns or complaints that the measures aren't going far enough. But the message being sent is that the GOP's sole mission is presidential destruction.

Now, some in the party are beginning to worry.

Well, sort of. Stein's piece is solid, but it quotes former lawmakers and GOP strategists, not sitting Republican lawmakers. It's one thing for party officials just outside the decision-making center to raise concerns; it's something else when someone with actual power and direct influence shares those concerns.

And at this point, Republicans realize that they're taking obstructionism to levels unprecedented in American history, and they realize that the public may disapprove, but they're willing to take the risk.

Indeed, this week should have made this abundantly clear -- Republican obstructionism has reached the level at which they oppose ideas they support.

I'm delighted that some in the GOP are "beginning to worry" about the reflexive, knee-jerk opposition to literally everything Democrats consider, but I'm at a loss as to how the majority is supposed to work constructively with a minority that would rather destroy the political process than approve its own proposals.

—Steve Benen

[Imajika]

1. Yet, oddly enough...

the Republicans, as the opposition party, are doing exactly what many/most here on DU were calling for the Democrats to do when the GOP controlled the Presidency.

Basically, the Republicans are doing what their base wants - attempting to oppose and block nearly everything the President and the governing party tries to do. Pretty much precisely what so many here were furious the Democrats did not do enough of.

So it would seem pretty clear that the Republicans listen quite intently to their base, while the Democrats do not. In fact, the Republicans have gone so far as to pretty much purge their ranks of their version of DINO's (they call theirs RINO's) and managed to force the few moderates that remain to stick by the party line in nearly all instances.

While we may oppose Republican's nearly always, you do have to admire the way they respond to their core voters and the discipline they seem to show virtually all of the time.

We may laugh at their "purity" tests, movements to force their party further to the right, etc, etc, but, in a 2 party system - eventually they will win. Once people get angry at the governing party, they have to turn somewhere. It would seem to me that this just means the next time the Republicans hold all the power that they will be further right wing than ever before, AND, they will have instilled the discipline necessary amongst their members to truly make radical changes.

[babylonsister]

3. I don't think they're responding to anyone. I honestly think they

have no concrete ideas that won't be laughed at. So they obstruct.

[Imajika]

6. You don't see the right wing machine...

..all around you?

It is not as if Fox News, Rush, Hannity, Beck, etc, etc are not promoting ideas.

They are, they have quite a full agenda actually. And no, these ideas won't necessarily be opposed by the public. Dismissing the oppositions policy positions as not concrete and laughable is a serious mistake in my opinion.

[babylonsister]

7. I see the machine, but I don't see any concrete ideas. Did you

see the flimsy pamphlet the rethugs handed Obama yesterday? THAT was full of their ideas.

Can you name one constructive idea they've come up with? One?

Here's a NYT blog from yesterday, RE: rethugs' health care bill.

http://prescriptions.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/01/29/obama-squares-off-with-house-republicans-on-health-care/

imo they're not even trying.

[opihimoimoi]

2. Too Widdle Too Wait...the GOP had its fun to denigrate Obama for a full year

They came to the ball park but never got dressed.

Instead, they sat on the side lines and jeered, whined, and complained.

They thought they could win the game this way....

Lately, they noted an absense of points on the scoreboard...they thought they were winning...

but they were mistaken...

Obama was a ROOKIE...but no more...

the GOP failed in their mission to destroy him...

Obama is seasoned Dem Warrior now....

Full of hardened scars from the many gop bites he has weathered the storm...

The GOP now has a big worry on their hands....they have locked themselves in a corner

and Obama is calling them on it...

They are twapped by their own hate

[JoeyT]

4. Isn't doing absolutely nothing constructive

one of the core tenants of conservatism, if not the very definition of it?

[Bitwit1234]

5. And the media protrays them as heroes

as protecting the American Way...if there was a way to make the media really truly FAIR AND BALANCED we wouldn't see the crap we do today. The republicans would be scared to death to pull their stuff.

[Clio the Leo]

8. The only thing they are trying to CONSTRUCT....

... is a party win next November.

And unless we get to work .... they very well may have one.

Fortunately, we got our early wake up call in time to do something about it.

[niceypoo]

9. When have they ever done anything constructive?

Seriously..

Sadly they pay little price for their actions.

[customerserviceguy]

10. A year ago, it was their only strategy

Headlines were proclaiming the death of the Republicon Party. They realized they had only one set of outcomes, either Obama succeeds, or Obama fails. Only the latter outcome gets them resurrected from the dead.

Believe me, any Rethug leaders who are hand-wringing about looking too confrontational with the President and the Democratic Congress will be replaced with ones who have the "bring it on" mentality of their last president.