The End of Bipartisanship?

“I think it’s safe to say that President Obama has given up on bipartisanship, at least for the foreseeable future.”Yep. Just in time for the mid-terms. Wow! Shocker!!If the Dems retain control I have a funny feeling bi-partisanship will rear it’s head again on or around November 3. Right on schedule. So, the foreseeable future is about two months.

Bob, Axelrod said two months ago that bipartisanship was dead. Now that the silly season is over, why is it a surprise to see the president on the offensive?

So is the Pro Left going to drop the myth that the President will capitulate and extend the Bush Tax cuts? They’ve been propogating this myth for some time, and I’ve said from day one that its nonsense.I think some just hope for failure if for no other reason than to have something to complain about.Very Serious.

woohoo….the Pres in full campaign mode is an awesome thing to behold!STFU, Frederick.Ashby, I think the Pres will have to compromise on the tax cuts in order to retain the cuts for the middle class. I just don’t see this Congress allowing anything else.Also. Fuck the Firebagging left.

Why does he have to compromise on this? If they do nothing, they all expire. That’s his big gun. If he threatens to veto any bill with a continuation of the upper income cuts, they have a choice. Nothing or middle class cuts.

I have to disagree Nicole. I think its much more likely that both cuts will end. The way EGB describes it seems much more plausible to me. The financical and political fallout of extending the Bush cuts is too horrible to imagine. The President isnt a dummy.

@Matt, I’ve seen the President in campaign mode before and it didn’t appear that bipartisanship was going to be his approach but sure enough he moved that way after the election. So I’m worried that he will return to that idea once the campaign is over (ala, troll Allen says, unfortunately). But I’m hoping with all my undersized heart that isn’t the case.@JMAshby, EGB, he does have all the power here and its likely that both cuts will expire. Most likely, again giving him some political savvy credit here, that this is simply a political trap for the Repubs. By offerring tax cuts for the middle class he forces the Repubs to take a stand in favor or against during an election cycle. Plus it might play to those independents who are still wavering. And as we know, nothing is going to sway the Tea Party and KKK wingnuts out there. It should be a no-lose proposition.

Sorry, Ashby, but it’s not a desire to see them fail so much as it the reality of the Democrats often saying they wont do something right up until the moment they do. And they’ve consistently began the negotiation process from a position of weakness. Willingly. I have no doubt the Democrats will extend the Bush tax cuts and give away some measure of relief to the middle class as enticement for one Republican senator’s vote.And today McConnell indicated he was open to talks of extending the Bush tax cuts another couple of years and dealing with it then. Wow. That’s so generous of him. Wait… what’s coming up in a couple years? Hmmmm…

working with the opposition or people who don’t think like him is part of Obama’s core. He believes it. Right now, its election time and right now its all about protecting his family (the democrats).

@Irish Girl: I have to disagree. Not a day went by where I didn’t hear Obama push the ‘reaching across the aisle’ comment. That he’s still doing it doesn’t surprise me.

EGB—->>>If he threatens to veto any bill with a continuation of the upper income cuts, they have a choice. Nothing or middle class cuts.And you really think that they’ll vote for MC cuts without the cuts for the top 2%? Or are you thinking that we’ll just let the MC cuts expire also?I disagree on both those possibilities. I stand by my previous statement. I guess we’ll see who read the tea leaves right….Nano & me, or EGB & Ashby. Contest! On!Just having fun, guys. The Pres’ speech cheered me immensely!

@Allonfla I see your point but did you ever get the impression that it would mean “reaching across the aisle NO MATTER WHAT the other side did”? I sure didn’t. Bipartisanship is one thing, but compromising with the other side in the face of bad faith negotiations or outright lunacy is another. And I think that’s what has been going on and I think it needs to stop.

I just dont see it that way Nano. I think there is a very real desire for failure from the Pro Left.They want to say “Hillary would be better” so bad they can taste it. In fact, some have already said that fairly recently. Its like they are seeking vindication for their own devisiveness.I would almost compare it to Republicans doing their best to dismantle government at every level and then pointing their finger and saying “see, look, government doesnt work”

Ashby—>>>I think there is a very real desire for failure from the Pro Left.I agree. They started on him before he even took office, and it’s been downhill from there. This indicates to me that they have an agenda.Hamsher has exactly zero supportive or even neutral posts re Obama on Huffpost. The only time she posts there is when she is big in to bashing mode. Of course, that is much more evident on FDL.

Isn’t it possible that the Dems could pass the tax cuts for the middle class only the same way the Republicans passed Bush’s tax cuts, through reconciliation? I’m assuming it can be done this way but, I’m not really sure. That said, I’m really tired of people who think they can predict what’s going to happen before it actually does. Haven’t we all had enough of the palm reading that’s going on in the media? I’ve never understood why some Dems are so eager to claim their clairvoyance. Either give me tonight’s winning power ball numbers or give it a fucking rest! Time for Countdown!

And today McConnell indicated he was open to talks of extending the Bush tax cuts another couple of years and dealing with it then.

Didn’t Obama already postpone ending these cuts at the beginning of his term because of the cries of the recession and not raising taxes on the wealthy and – well, the same arguments we’re hearing today? Wasn’t the compromise then to let them naturally expire? So, as the other side said about extending unemployment benefits to the 99ers; No more, it’s over, deal with it.

Again, I don’t want to see anyone fail, and definitely don’t believe Hillary Clinton could do any better or hope that she “primaries” Obama in 2012. I don’t have buyer remorse when it comes to President Obama. But from what we’ve seen up until this point, they always invite the Republicans to the table and then compromise the legislation into a bloody pulp for a single Republican vote.My sincere hope is that they let the entire package expire, middle class tax cuts and all, and then start from scratch with a new measure aimed primarily at the middle class and small businesses. I know that sounds terribly like “kill the bill” but letting them expire prevents any opportunity to give any ground to the Republicans. Let the Bush era tax cuts expire, come back with a new package that helps the middle class (and, Hell, I’m willing to accept a little deficit neutrality in there as a sop to those hypocrites across the aisle) and then dare the Republicans to block it.By merely saying they wont compromise on extending the Bush era tax cuts, in my mind they’ve pretty much hinted that they’re ready to deal. Why go through the normal senate rigmarole of trying to extend the current package sans the tax cuts for the wealthy when you can just let the whole sonofabitch expire and start over? Because going through the motions opens the package up to debate and the usual senate shenanigans.They don’t even have to talk about it. They can just let it expire. But they wont, because they’re ready to deal.

Die, top heavy tax cuts, DIE!And a permanent grave should be dug, Stimulus-funded, with a stone-monument to failure in Bush-Republican dishonor should forever mark the spot.Permanent expiration.Shunned and banished from civil society.

No claims of clairvoyance for my part. I have hopes about how some things will work out. And I have some ideas about what I THINK is going on. But I never bet on it and I usually hope that my cynical misgivings are wrong.