Criticizing Rep. Paul Ryan's budget is just one of the ways President Obama has poisoned the well.
The media keeps dutifully quoting Republicans saying that if President Obama takes executive action on immigration reform, it will "poison the well." With the well poisoned by Obama, Congress won't be able to do anything on immigration, and everything will be Obama's fault, according to this logic. You might ask—and it would have to be you asking, since the traditional media rarely will—"But the Senate already passed a bipartisan immigration reform bill and the House refused to act even though apparently the well hadn't yet been poisoned. What's up with that?" American Bridge has the answer. It turns out that almost every single thing Barack Obama has done as president has poisoned the well.
Here's a sampling of some of the times Obama has allegedly poisoned the well, going back to 2010:
- Sen. Jeff Flake: If Obama Took Partial Credit For A Deal On Immigration Principles Reached By Eight Senators, It Would “Poison The Well” With Republicans. [...]
- Marco Rubio: Obama’s 2012 Executive Orders On Immigration “Poisoned The Well.” [...]
- Lindsey Graham: Obama’s Strategy On Gun Control “Poisoned The Well.” [...]
- U.S. Chamber Of Commerce Spokesman Bruce Josten: Obama National Labor Relations Board Appointments “Further Poison The Well.” [...]
- Rep. Paul Ryan: Obama’s Criticism Of Ryan Budget “Poisoned The Well” In The Budget Debate. [...]
- Senator Lindsey Graham: If Democrats Use Reconciliation To Pass Affordable Care Act, It’s “Going To Poison The Well For Anything Else They Would Like To Achieve For This Year Or Thereafter.” [...]
- Sen. Bob Corker: Democratic Efforts To Repeal Don’t Ask Don’t Tell “Poisons The Well” On The START Treaty With Russia.
Damn. If we are talking about a single well, that is an extreme amount of poison in it. Thing is, I believe we are talking about the metaphorical well of Republican willingness to cooperate with Democrats, in which case, that well is bone dry to begin with and has been for years.