The Mandate the President Obama got on Nov 4th 2008, was not from the left alone, it was from the middle. He promised to change Washington's way, he promised to try and bridge the bipartisan divide, he promised to try....
people look at the last 4 week and assume that he will change the strategy, I wonder if people understood the way Obama does things!...he will never chase the daily news cycles. and he will never prefer tactic above .
The question then is...what is the strategy??
The answer is transformational change
Health care Reform
EFCA
Energy independence
Immigration reform
the first boulders were set yesterday when we Got...
major increase in NIH funding, $5 Billion Flexible Fund for Education Innovation</a, <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/14/business/economy/14benefits.html?ref=politics"> ,About 500,000 more people eligible for benefits according to the National Employment Law Project....beyond all that, the stimulus is an Early Victory of Historic Proportions . The new deal was about 2% of the GDP,the American Recovery and reinvestment act is about 5% of the GDP.
What was done yesterday although not perfect, is a giant step towards rewriting the history of this country.
The question remains then...was Obama's efforts to reach out to the opposition right or wrong?...did he lose his way? did he compromise on the broad goals of this historic bill?
and the answer is no!
what Obama gained by trying to approach the opposition and being rebuffed , and then achieving his goal anyway..is that, in the eyes of the American people..their president kept his promise , he increased his popularity, he convinced the American people of the merits of this bill without being hyper partisan...and above all..he got things done that will improve the lives of people.
The President had 5 columnists on board AF1 yesterday(Ron Brownstein, Clarence Page, Bob Herbert, EJ Dionne, and Kathleen Parker)
and Brownstein has this remarkable writeup of the meeting
Obama seemed to split that opposition into several categories. Some of it was ideological: "I think that there were some senators and House members who have a sincere philosophical difference with the idea of any government role in boosting demand in the economy. They don't believe in [economist John Maynard] Keynes and they are still fighting FDR." Some was tactical: "I also think that there was a decision made... where [Republican leaders] said... 'If we can enforce conformity among our ranks, then it will invigorate our base and will potentially give us some political advantage either short-term or long-term." He paused. "Whether that's a smart strategy, I think you should ask them."
Anybody who thinks that this man is some how a novice , wet behind the ears, Washington newbie apparently wasn't being attention. He may have over extended the hand in those first few days, but he understand the game of his opposition, and while he may not use the rhetoric of FDR...he does understand the enormity and the responsibility of his historic chance to reshape this country.
He signaled that he's open to consultation, compromise and readjusting his course to build inclusive coalitions, but fixed on the results he intends to produce. "My bottom line is not how pretty the process was," he said, looking back at the congressional fight over his economic recovery package. "My bottom line was: Am I getting help to people who need it?"
and this is the was he should do it...clarity of goals, an open hand , but a very very firm hand shake.
ooperation on the economic agenda, he suggested, may have been unusually difficult because it "touched on... one of the core differences between Democrats and Republicans" -- whether tax cuts or public spending can best stimulate growth. He predicted there may be greater opportunity for cooperation on issues such as the budget, entitlements and foreign policy. And if he keeps reaching out, he speculated, Republicans may face "some countervailing pressures" from the public "to work in a more constructive way." White House aides suggest that regardless of how congressional Republicans react on upcoming issues, Obama will pursue alliances with Republican governors and Republican-leaning business groups and leaders.
I don't the people here to fall for the blind spell thatengulfs the villagers in Washington
People liked and supported Obama because he promised a changed course while trying to maintain a civil tone.
We are sick and tired of the partisan battles, We don't care for score cards, We loath theatrics, bickering, and name calling
and yes..We love that our president will try and try again to reach out, even if he is rebuffed...it's the measure of a great man
Look..I say this as someone who started as an independent, and came all the way to the Democratic tent...The president promised that it will be such a large tent for all of us.
Yet while promising to continue to seek peace with congressional Republicans, Obama also made clear he's prepared for the alternative. "I am an eternal optimist [but] that doesn't mean I'm a sap," he said pointedly. "So my goal is to assume the best but prepare for a whole range of different possibilities in terms of how Congress
let's not forget