White House photo
It's hard to blame President Obama for at least making an effort. For four years, he took a variety of steps -- some social, some formal, some professional -- to establish relationships with congressional Republicans. The outreach didn't amount to much.
But it appears the president, either out of necessity or stubbornness, will continue his newly revamped charm offensive, including a trip to Capitol Hill for another round of budget talks. It's clearly intended as a major gesture on Obama's part -- presidents usually summon lawmakers to the White House, not head to Capitol Hill for meetings on lawmakers' turf.
Time will tell, obviously, whether the efforts pay dividends, but the New York Times has an interesting report today on the ineffectiveness of recent outreach, including a great anecdote I hadn't heard before.
For all the attention to President Obama's new campaign of outreach to Republicans, it was four months ago -- on the eve of bipartisan budget talks -- that he secretly invited five of them to the White House for a movie screening with the stars of "Lincoln," the film about that president's courtship of Congress to pass a significant measure.
None accepted.
For all the pundits who complain bitterly that Obama hasn't done enough to schmooze with lawmakers, doesn't an anecdote like this suggest the problem is not entirely the president's fault? Are we to believe that all five -- invited in secret so they wouldn't have to take heat from Fox or the GOP base -- were all washing their hair that night?
On a more substantive note, the piece also included this key piece of information:
What spurred Mr. Obama to reach out to rank-and-file Republicans with a flurry of phone calls, meals and now Capitol visits were the recent announcements by their leaders -- Speaker John A. Boehner and Senator Mitch McConnell of Kentucky -- that they will no longer negotiate with Mr. Obama on budget policy as long as he keeps demanding more tax revenues as the condition for Democrats' support of reduced spending on Medicare and other entitlement programs.
This is important. Congressional Republican leaders are now saying they won't even talk to the president unless Obama agrees -- before any meetings even take place -- to give them what they want. In other words, when the White House announces that all efforts at deficit reduction in the coming years will include literally nothing but 100% spending cuts, then GOP leaders will be prepared to negotiate with the president.
Please, Beltway pundits, remind me again how all the president has to do to resolve political paralysis is "lead" and offer good-faith compromises.
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I often wonder what things would be like had the President chosen a strictly partisan approach. Either way, the Teatards are still the greater of the two evils.
I often wonder what things would be like had the President ..... was white.
The GOP is using race so much, you'd think it was 1950.... 1850?.....
Remember Bill Clinton!!! The GOP hates all democratic Presidents, they believe the White House is theirs. The fact that Obama is black only exacerbate the problem. Their last POTUS, Bush fought two wars, cut taxes and passed a medicare drug benefit fiasco...all not paid for, blessed with a balanced budget and a surplus left by Clinton, he and the GOP turned it into the worst economic meltdown since the Great Depression. Now they say they care about the budget...only the non informed accept this. History reveals when the republicans employ their policies, the country suffers, when the democrats employ their policies, the country propers. All one has to do is look at the composition of the republican party and it's base to understand why they act as they do!!!
Where are the black helicopters, the blue-helmeted UN troops, the uprooting of golf courses, the outlawing of hamburgers, and the FEMA camps when we really need them???
Please, Beltway pundits, remind me again what your credentials and incentives are.
Didn't your mother ever tell you it's not nice to say bad things about retards? It's not their fault they are otherwise-unemployable!
/snark
Isn't this how the classic hostage scenario goes? "Give me everything I want and nobody gets hurt"? I'm just waiting for the demand for pizza and a getaway car.
That just reminded me of the Godfather line - 'Leave the gun take the cannoli.' The GOP can take their ring-kissing middle-finger and play sit-n-spin on themselves...
I've had it with the smoke and mirrors thing.
The Repubs should be removed from office, they are unfit.
Any pundit who keeps banging on the "good faith" negotiation drum forfeits any reputation he or she had left.
How long does it take the country to figure out that these guys are actively out to do harm?
No question that their aim is to hamstring President Obama. And we, who back the President and the progressive agenda, are aghast at their methods. I'm being devil's advocate here, but in some people's minds, the ends justify the means. They believe they're doing what's necessary to get back in power so they can return to conservative economic principles. It's dirty and underhanded and it's working.
I suppose history will be the final judge, although you know what they say about any war. The real prize when you win is the power to write history in terms favorable to your side. But that power fades over time and then the truth comes out.
I agree, except there's only one republican economic principle, to direct the vast machinery of government to benefit the wealthy, at the expense of everyone else. Oh, and some "values" window dressing too.
Again being devil's advocate, Keeping Track, I think that some members of Congress are True Believers (h/t to Eric Hoffer), as well as many of their constituents. What we see as evil, they see as guerilla warfare. Just as one man's freedom fighter is another man's terrorist, it's all in the perspective.
I'm not justifying what I see as unethical. But this is may be why some on the conservative side aren't embarrassed by the likes of Rand Paul and Ted Cruz, or Sarah Palin and Michele Bachmann, for that matter. Those people are heroes. (Excuse me a moment while I try to retain my breakfast.)
How long does it take the country to figure out that these guys are actively out to do harm?
It took the Germans 12 years.
JL, Dick Cheney ends justify the means thinking.
There is no regard for Constitution or democracy... we got our war and if make the economy stay down, history will make President Obama look failed, if we keep saying he failed, it will be so. No matter that we could have done all this so much better. They want to destroy those that see other ways of getting there.
I can't imagine any Republican Politician being comfortable when reminded of original values their Party once defended. Of course they didn't watch Lincoln. Far too painful to be introspective and honest.
Far easier to talk about Death Panels, and how Jesus hates the Gays.
When 43% of the GOP's constituents STILL believe that ACORN had a hand in Obama's re-election in 2012 when they disbanded and shut their doors in 2010, no amount of truth will ever set them free, in spite of themselves.
Yes, why would Confederates want to come see a movie about that Terrible Man?
Grrr! I am sick of my representatives who are supposed to represent my state act like babies and not compromise!! I want them all voted out!!
Well, gosh, that "Lincoln" offer was clearly made in bad faith. I mean, what could possibly be more offensive than being invited to watch a movie with a black Democrat in the White House that demonstrates how completely Republicans have abandoned the principles upon which their party was founded?
I'm just curious as to the excuse Mitch McConnell gave when he couldn't find the time to meet with the 2012 NCAA Champion Kentucky Wildcats at the white house. Anyone know? I bet he didn't impress the Wildcats. Go Naomi Judd....
I meant ASHLEY Judd.
Frankly I believe that this President could bend over and kiss each and every one of their arses on FAUX NOOZ live and it still wouldn't make a bit of difference. The complicity of the corporate owned lamestream media with their false equivalences, both sides to it, and if only he would lead nonsense is more of an effort to discount and disqualify the President in the eyes of the American people that voted for him again! It is treason both against the President and the people of this nation that deserve a working government.
On the other hand, WE the PEOPLE must also own the fact that WE have been dumbed down enough to allow these political traitors to be in office "supposedly representing US". WE have allowed ourselves to be divided by FAUX nonsense or OPP (Other People's Problems - G-d, guns, LGBT, abortion, et.al) and take our focus off of the issues that WE have in common - jobs, housing, tax justice, clean air/water, fair pay, equality in the workplace, infrastructure, education, and keeping the corporate Oligarchy from ruining our lives, environment & health - for the short term greed called their "business model"!
It is time for US to come together to beat these would be fascist pigs back behind the gates so that the rest of US can go about rebuilding our nation and remembering what "the commons" is all about!
They would say his asskissing wasn't 'sincere' enough.
Zora, You tell me when and where I'll be there. I'm tired of not doing nothing. I would like to stand up and fight for whats right.
nad46 - There are a few organizations that you can join to get organized Moveon.org, Van Jones Rebuilding the Dream, Discoverthenetworks.org (just to name a few)- all have issues that you can can sign on to participate in. The right is organized and so must WE be - for the sake of ALL OF US! WE are all in this together even if the sheeple can't see that they're being duped.
Yes, I registered voters, getting the forms and a little training from Dem. Headquarters.
Look for local Dem. Headquarters.
I found it very rewarding to go to local J.C. and register voters from an ironing board in a prominent spot. You need to get approval at campus office first, but this is fertile ground. Plus being an "older person", it was refreshing to be around that young person energy. It felt good to take part in that, even though I am in a very "blue" location. Of course there were challenges, but it was very, very positive!
People need to be excited to vote for every election, Obama made it easy to vote for him, but then we have to get people to vote, even when the candidates are not as inspiring as Obama or Hillary.
Now is the time for all good people to come to the aid of their country.
I effing hate republican traitors
Respectfully Neil, please don't hate.
In everyone's community there are those, neighbors, friends, family who consider themselves conservative and likely vote as such, not because they are bad people, but because this is America and the conservatives are allowed to have their opinions and beliefs as we liberals are. We've had 250 years of political disagreement and hopefully, we'll have 250 more years to argue.
The real traitors behind our politics, our government, our nation cannot be defined by party affiliation, but by greed and power. They may pass themselves off as Republicans or Dems or religious figures or CEO's but their actions show true affiliation to something far deeper, darker, and outside the reasoning of good everyday people, tied to greed and self-preservation.
It's only those who act contrary to US principles who need to be expelled from any seat of power. Most of the people in our government are decent people, we cannot brand one another simply by party affiliation.
Good everyday people, right or left, we cannot hate each other. We cannot hate, we must band together and expel those who've proven themselves by their actions to not have the best interests of their own country at heart. Let us not judge one another by our voter cards. It's never so simple as that.
Respectfully...
Agree with NeedMoreCoffee. There is enough hate in this world, we don't need to add to it ourselves. Keep in mind most everyone in this country, from both sides of the political spectrum, truly do care about this country and want what's best for it (and by extension, all of us). I believe that all of us, no matter what our political or religious beliefs, want te exact same things out of life, a decent life for us, and a better life for our kids. The troubles come because we don't always agree on what constitutes a good life is, or what a better future looks like.
"Conservatives are not necessarily stupid, but most stupid people are conservatives." -- John Stuart Mill
"Respectfully," I wouldn't call 911 to report a house fire if I knew Republicans lived there. These animals are the architects of every disaster this nation has faced for the last 40 years. They are the reason why nothing whatsoever is going to be done to address climate change and, consequently, why your children and grandchildren are going to die as starving peasants in a 3rd World desert called America. They will kill us all if they have the chance and won't feel a moment's regret about our slaughter. I hate them. I will never stop hating them. Do not presume to try and make me feel bad about hating demonstrably evil people.
I was in a contract negotiation some time ago that went pretty much like this: Agree to all our demands and then we'll be prepared to sit down and negotiate with you. There never was any intention to negotiate with our union. Takes two to tango.
I'm afraid the beltway pundits you are referring to are named Rubin, Brooks, and Noonan. Virtually all others have decided the truth trumps the bogus "message"...
This is called America held hostage.
What was once just disrespect has turned to open contempt over the course of his Presidency. When was the last time you heard a Republican Congressman refer to him as "The President" and not just "Obama."
Since he took the oath of office in January 2009.
The other day when Tom Coburn (R-OK) talked about having reached out and been poked with a stick, accused of things that weren't accurate, etc., I had to wonder whether he was siding with the President or Republicans ...
Senator Coburn was a friend of the President's when he was in the US Senate. I wouldn't be surprised if he wasn't referring to the republicans.
It is clear that the American public is being held hostage by the GOP and its rich cronies.
Speaker John A. Boehner and Senator Mitch McConnell of Kentucky are utterly useless people and anyone that voted them into office should be held responsible for the govern(mental) paralysis that we currently are forced to endure.
And ALL good democrats need to come together and support the democrat who goes up against these two in the next election whether it is Ashley Judd or someone else.
It's time for both of them to go work on their tans, fish, golf...whatever they do in retirement. I would like if they would enjoy it and let some fresh minds take over. Please, not lobbying...
just
go
fishing.
Of course, the TPubs might take a look at lobbyists, ALEC and go after that and leave the poor and elderly alone.
For me, it's becoming too frustrating to even watch this madness. It just keeps getting worse and worse. And now today, Ryan is releasing his newest budget which will be even crueler with deeper cuts to the most needy in a shorter amount of time. Why oh why do his constituents keep voting this dumb moron in? It's preposterous that Ryan, after being soundly rejected in the election, would pull the same stunt again.
Republican motto: Nobody gets anything, unless we get more.
Actually, more like: Nobody gets anything because we're taking *EVERYTHING* -- and we've made sure that there's not a damn thing that you can do to stop us! (So *nyah!*)
Maybe Mr Obama should have screened a Ronald Reagan movie. I wish Mr Obama would just break it off in their red arses anyway. I live in Arkansas and am ashamed at what the local legislators have done. And I work for the US postal service, boy am I going to be unemployed before too long....
The GOP and those they represent are doing just fine with the status quo. They keep getting re-elected and they did better than expected in the election despite an inept candidate and jaw-droppingly horrific gaffs. Why should they change their tune or not dig their heels in? President Obama is gone in 4 years and they will all still have their jobs because despite all the talk, we lack the cohesiveness to demand real change. Simply put, the country is too big now to find any common denominator. So... leave Washington managing the military, the post office and allocating federal funds - break the country down into regions to manage the rest. If the south is anti-abortion, then so be it... the north can decide to allow it... if the east wants to invest in education and the west wants to focus on energy... so be it. People can live in the region that best represents them. Both parties are equally guilty of contempt, poor management and grand-standing. The only one I like is President Obama but.. the man is hog tied by the reality of Washington D.C. - neither party wants real change and we're too lazy to demand it.
Going into the 1012 elections there was reason to believe that the Republicans could do very well. The economy was weak and the Republican party had been very effective in their obstructionism. Citizen's United had opened the floodgates for campaign spending with little by way of transparency. Many congressional districts had been gerrymandered to heavily benefit the Republican party. The Democrats had 21 seats up for election in the Senate, and the Republicans had only 10. It should have been a banner year for the Republicans.
They didn't accept because all their friends told them black people always talk throughout a movie.
How can we make the GOP pay for their unprecedented obstructionism? Too many brainwashed racist morons support their actions.
Recently I heard of an effort to establish an objective commission that would re-draw Congressional districts to eliminate all the gerrymandering that has been going on. That would seem one of the only ways to get rid of these malevolent clowns.
Can it be done without re-gerrymandering what's been gerrymandered?
The GOP in the Senate and the Congress have turned into professional politicians. They don't govern, and they don't do much of anything except getting donations for their next election. They are always looking over their shoulder for possible primary elections instead of looking forward at what needs to be fixed. Looking back at the past four years, I think our country and our economy would be better off now if the GOP had not voted down every jobs bill that Obama created.
Frankly, I'm very scared of what the Republicans are doing. I'm sick of the Republican "spin" that they are feeding to us via Fox and other media outlets. Perhaps the Republicans are trying to start the next government revolt. I fervently hope that the obstructionists ( Boehner, McConnell, Ryan, etc.) will be voted out of office in 2014 and the country can move forward.
What's worse - I read that this viewing of "Lincoln" was also attended by Steven Spielberg, Daniel Day-Lewis, Tommy Lee Jones, Sally Fields and other key folks in this production. So these Grand Oil Partiers shot themselves in the proverbial face by declining the invite. Seems they are following an Acting President Cheney footsteps after all... Who in their right mind would pass on this invitation? Oh, wait...