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Republican Sens. John McCain and John Thune
A month ago today, the Wall Street Journal reported on the collapse of the fiscal talks, and included some behind-the-scenes anecdotes about the hostilities between President Obama and House Speaker John Boehner. According to the piece, Obama "told Mr. Boehner that if the sides didn't reach agreement, he would use his inaugural address and his State of the Union speech to tell the country the Republicans were at fault."
We now know, of course, that didn't happen. Not only was a fiscal agreement reached on Jan. 1, but the word "Republican" did not appear in the president's second inaugural.
That said, Obama nevertheless presented an ambitious and progressive vision, which is entirely incompatible with a radicalized Republican approach to governance. It doesn't come as too big a surprise, then, that some GOP lawmakers weren't especially pleased with what they heard.
"I would have liked to have seen some outreach," said Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.), who lost to Obama in the 2008 presidential race. "This is the eighth [inauguration] that I've been to and always there's been a portion of the speech where [the president says] 'I reach out my hand because we need to work together.' That wasn't in this speech."
Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.), a member of leadership, said the speech was "mostly 30,000-foot stuff" that did not extend any olive branches to the GOP.
"It did seem that he wasn't doing the kind of outreach that he needs to do if he wants to get things accomplished in a second term," Thune said. "We'll see how it's received."
So, let me get this straight. Republicans spent Obama's first term on a scorched-earth campaign, hoping to destroy his presidency and nearly everything he proposed. GOP leaders met privately exactly four years ago yesterday to plot their comeback by obstructing the president wherever possible, and refusing to compromise with Obama on literally anything, even when he embraced Republican ideas -- and then they executed that plot without hesitation or shame.
After Obama received another endorsement from the American electorate, members of the shrinking Senate minority heard the president offer a robust defense of his governing vision, and their first reaction is ... it lacked "outreach" to the other side?
Seriously?
In fairness, I should note that other Republicans were more gracious and appreciated the president's frequent references to working together.
"I do come away with hope, as long as from the bully pulpit, he speaks the same way in the days ahead as he did today," said Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa.). [...]
Sen. John Hoeven (R-N.D.) said that the White House would need to reach out to Republicans in Congress if the challenges of the debt and deficit were actually going to get addressed.
"The part I liked is when he emphasized working together -- that's what we need," Hoeven said. [...]
Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-Utah), the longest-serving GOP senator, said there were certainly things he differed with in the speech, but that overall he found a positive message. "It was a together agenda as far as I can see," Hatch said.
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No sense in Obama reaching out his hand if the Republicans haven't got theirs out to grab on to. If their trying to say that their agreement on Jan. 1 was one, it was not. It was just something to make sure the voters didn't recall their wrong tails. I wish he had blamed them in his inaugural speech. It would have gone down for all of history that they had nearly brought down America. Well maybe The State of the Union.....
John Maccain will never forget 2008 shallacking.
Move on John.
If you think that the repubs were upset about the speech, wait until they react to the video of Michelle Obama reacting to something Boehner said at the dinner table.
http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2013/01/21/michelle-obama-rolls-her-eyes-at-speaker-boehner-a-gif-for-the-masses/
I wish the Republicans would finally admit that the writings of psychologist Carl Jung regarding projection have some validity. Jung indicated that we project out onto other people those parts of our psyche we do not wish to claim as our own, whether they be good or bad. Thus, when we claim that others "fail to reach out across the aisle," it is likely that it is we ourselves who fail to do that, and we refuse to take responsibility for it, so we blame "the other" for doing that which we ourselves do. It's kind of like all those closeted gay Republicans who have the most consistent anti-gay voting records while they're screwing congressional pages in their Capitol offices and playing footsie with vice officers in airport bathrooms. Sadly, their desire to get reelected is stronger than their willingness to be introspective and responsible, since they know they would have to work a lot harder in any other job they would be able to land if they suddenly were no longer serving in Congress.
McCain, put your thumb back in your mouth and go home. Maybe the schedulers for the Sunday talk shows don't appreciate your irrelevance, but the rest of us do.
I can't quite see where George W. Bush extended a hand in his 2005 second inaugural (http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=4460172), so maybe Senator McCain could point it out for me.
You mean the last 4 years of talking about working together wasn't enough? You mean 4 years of obstruction and voting against bills that you even you agree with because they came from the black President tends to make one think you're not serious at all about compromise? That 4 years of your party imploding makes you think you are worth mentioning?
Hardly. You made your bed, lie in it. Watch a leader lead.
How many olive branches do they need before we build them a friggin bridge!
If we build them a bridge, they will complain we didn't carry them across...if we carry them across, they will complain we didn't carry them far enough or well enough...where would it end??? to heck with the olive branches...plant olive trees and and make olive oil---that, at least would be healthier for us all!
You can't say much for Republicans, but one thing you can't take away from this is gall.
It is time for these republican dinosaurs to join those from the past and seep into the ground turning into oil.
Except that DEMS would never let the country have access to that oil.
it i a waste of time to try to reason with the repubs who are in charge in dc or eleswhere because their ideas come from god therefore cannot be wrong or modified.. these are the ssame repubs who thought mitt was the one to lead, a man who belives his faith was founded on teachings found under a rock. god save us and bless the usa
Thank you for the unexpected belly laugh!!!! you are absolutely right!!!!
McCain....STOP KVETCHING and join a gym. You're obsolete and usually negative. Aren't you embarrased for selecting la Palin? Behave like the war vet you are. Best for USA is for you to fade away.
We can only hope that our President has gotten over his desire to be a bipartisan leader. Republican opposition has set back our economic recovery at least 2 yrs, not to mention that their policies caused the recession, which would have been a world wide depression if not for this President's efforts. Had President Obama taken a more progressive course, (he had nothing to lose because the average GOP base voter still thinks he's a socialist) he would have had a much more friendly congress to deal with after 2010. It was his continued capitulation to assclowns that would never be happy for it anyway that dampened down the left's enthusiasm for him and lowered their turnout in midterms.
Jesus, republicans sound like a bunch of whining babies! No wonder nothing gets done in the House or the Senate--there no grown ups in the GOP? McCain comes off sounding like a snot nose brat, full of himself and with anger issues.
We no longer need the Republicans to move forward. We have overcome.
I think they are overtired and need their bottles, their blankies and a LONG nap.
I agree....DEMS need a nap, right now!
If you can't say something nice, don't say anything at all.
Screw the GOP. Their stated goal for the last four years has been to "deny President Obama a second term at all costs". So they don't belong anywhere near the inauguration. What a bunch of spoiled brats.
The Republicans have been blindingly disrespectful of the office of president and of the president in particular. I feel at this point Obama should get on with it and not waste time trying to engage petulant people who do not know how to behave in public.
The only thing progressives want to hear about republicans is that they have all been voted out of existance.
I sent a critical note to Public Radio who felt "balanced journalism" during the upbeat presidential inaguration meant the need to interview three radical right wing conservatives in a row asking them what they thought of the presidential address (one a "contributor to Fox News"). I finally turned off their balanced coverage as I didn't the lies and misinformation. When will journalists learn?
I've sort of given up on hearing any real balance from National Republican Radio (if they're going to interview right-wingers every time, why not left-wingers as well?), but I'm glad some people are still giving NPR feedback.
I sent a critical note to Public Radio who felt "balanced journalism" during the upbeat presidential inaguration meant the need to interview three radical right wing conservatives in a row asking them what they thought of the presidential address (one a "contributor to Fox News"). I finally turned off their balanced coverage as I didn't the lies and misinformation. When will journalists learn?
Good job Wendell. We need more of that.
Is it wrong that I see/hear "Minnetonka" and think of Prince?
Not only that, but Mitch McConnell stated outright at the start of Obama's first term that it was the Republicans' #1 priority to keep him from winning a second.
All that stuff in the speech about working together -- who the %3&! did they think he was talking about?!
McCain, Boehner, McConnell, Thune -- just a few of the people who make the GOP a complete and utter joke.
I hope the strong inauguration speech means the President has finally gotten over his delusion that he will gain anything by giving in to the Republicans. But the recent "deal" over the debt ceiling does not suggest he has.
Constantly criticizing someone else's shortcomings and ignoring your own is a serious mental illness............It is apparent that you need professional help!!!!!!!!!!!!!