Why is Obama still trying to work with the GOP?

[Ardent15]

Has he learned nothing from his 5 years in Washington?

The GOP will NEVER work with him on anything that helps the American people or hurts their corporate overlords.

You can't negotiate with people who won't meet you halfway.

This goes for the entire Democratic leadership in Washington. Stop trying to please everybody, stand up for Democratic values (the ones voters elected you to stand up for!), and stop pretending to be Republicans.

The Republicans weren't elected by anybody to stand up for what is right. They were elected by people who don't care about America. Look at the Tea Party movement.

It's more infuriating when you feel betrayed by people who lied to you then when people who you expect to be selfish act the same way.

I'm not mad when the GOP acts like the GOP...at least, not to the extent when the Democrats act like the GOP!

Just had to vent some anger there. :)

[napi21]

1. I think he really is determined to change Washington!

I doubt it will work, but in his last speech, it sounded to me like he is only giving them one more chance, at least on HC.

[AllentownJake]

2. Because he has no choice

Seeing that about 14 members of his "party" are secret members in the Senate.

[Kablooie]

10. I think this is the reason. Either some of the vote with him or he fails. Period.

And so far it looks like his presidency will fail. I believe he's one of the most capable presidents we've ever had except he will accomplish virtually nothing because of the superior obstructionism that is against him.

The one thing he's not very capable of is changing people's minds and that turns out to be the most essential ability of all.

I know it seems incredible but his presidency is heading to be a major failure because it looks like he won't be able to achieve a single major accomplishment. Heart breaking I know, but the conservative powers are just too much for our side to overcome.

[undeterred]

12. Baloney.

Bush had less of a majority than Obama does and he got lots of things done for his party using 'reconcilation'. Obama has the choice to do this instead of living in a dreamworld where he gets 60 votes.

[iceman66]

18. The problem is

that there probably aren't even 50 votes in the Senate to pass REAL progressive legislation!

On health care, we MAY get something along the lines of the House bill, although probably watered down even further. And this is best case scenario.

Something like Medicare for all or a real public option would have no chance whatsoever.

Obama's biggest problem is that way too many in his own party are not true Democrats and would rather enable the obstructionists than stand on the principles that we wrongly assume them to have.

[AllentownJake]

20. I don't really have that high opinion of him

I think he is a nice guy, who doesn't really fight that hard and compromises rather easily with institutions and people he'll rhetorically slam the next day or day before. He also appears to have pretty bad Human Resource skills in some pretty major appointments.

I also think he's kind of out of touch with reality and his political instincts in the economic crisis have been pretty off since around March of 2009.

There have always been obstructionist in Congress for every President, how they dealt with them and how they read the political winds and demands of the time determine their ability to govern.

This President has misread the times he has been chosen to head the Executive Branch since around March 2009, when Geithner convinced him to tone it down on the Financial Sector that put us at Depression area unemployment.

[lib2DaBone]

27. Well said. I think he is a nice guy... smart.. well spoken...

..but why would you abandon your base and everything you "said" you stand for?

$$$ Goldman Sachs.. $$$

[iceman66]

16. Very true.

[pnwmom]

3. Because they can shut down the government.

The problem is with a number of procedural rules, especially in the Senate.

For example, Senate rules allow a single Senator to put a "hold" on a nomination, which then means that 60 votes -- which we do not have -- are required to approve. Sen. Shelby recently put holds on 70 nominations including some key positions, in an effort to get a couple of large earmarks for his state.

Most people are familiar with the filibuster; there is no simple way for Obama to get around them. (Reconciliation can only be used when it will reduce the deficit and must be approved by the Parliamentarian.) There is also nothing to prevent the Republicans from pretending not to oppose a bill, but killing it with endless amendments and other time-wasting ploys.

[omega minimo]

4. Perhaps you missed the SCOTUS Corporate Government Decision

[opihimoimoi]

5. He can say...He Tried...he met with them...he almost begged them...he is following Mendela..

Peace is Best

[Lasher]

6. He can't help it.

It's a basic part of his nature.

[bullimiami]

8. exactly.

...Halfway across the river, the frog suddenly felt a sharp sting in his back and, out of the corner of his eye, saw the scorpion remove his stinger from the frog's back. A deadening numbness began to creep into his limbs.

"You fool!" croaked the frog, "Now we shall both die! Why on earth did you do that?"

The scorpion shrugged, and did a little jig on the drownings frog's back.

"I could not help myself. It is my nature."




It is his nature.

[saracat]

7. Because he respects them.

[misanthrope]

9. It's a convenient excuse for maintaining the status quo**nm

**

[undeterred]

11. He needs to be liked by them.

[Kalun D]

13. Because

It's a good excuse for not getting anything done for the working class.

Look at who's around him Rahm Emmanual? Corporate DLCer

Geitner, a Republican
Bernake, a Republican
Gates, a Republican

Obama rammed the defense spending bill through congress no problem, he didn't even try to pass meaningful health care.

The ObamaRahma "We Are Change" TV show (brought to you by the corporations) is fictional, people need to wake up.

[laughingliberal]

14. +1 nt

[democracy1st]

17. he's looking more like a corp shill Now,and the reason I say this is he only has one chance to pass

most progressive legislation there's no do overs.

[pleah]

22. K&R

[B Calm]

15. It's gotten so bad, I've pledged to myself I'll never vote for Evan Bayh again!

[Vidar]

19. It keeps his corporate backers happy.

[roseBudd]

21. Because he is setting a trap

[fan of the arts]

23. He won't and can't admit that repukes are anti-Americans who use people

There's always some whorish blowhard who will scream through the propaganda media that corporations deserve this or that and if a man chooses to rule other men it's his choice.

Lincoln had a quote about it that is still true today:

We all declare for liberty; but in using the same word we do not all mean the same thing.
With some the word liberty may mean for each man to do as he pleases with himself, and the product of his labor; while with others, the same word may mean for some men to do as they please with other men, and the product of other men's labor.
Here are two, not only different, but incompatible things, called by the same name--liberty.
And it follows that each of the things is, by the respective parties, called by two different and incompatible names -- liberty and tyranny.

[Toasterlad]

24. Because That's What His Bosses Want Him To Do.

Duh.

[HughMoran]

25. He isn't really

He's just saying that because it continues to emphasize that no matter how many times he makes overtures to the Republicans, they have no intention of working with him. Makes good ads "the Party of NO!".

[tavalon]

26. Have you considered that this might just be bread and circuses?

Perhaps Obama is pretending to extend the olive branch of bipartisanship because it give plausible deniability to his administration and the Democrats who are in the majority in both houses.

[cliffordu]

28. I believe he used want to work with them....Now I think he's settng them up.

I suspect they will be MADE to really, truly filibuster -the no leaving the room, wear your diapers for the next three days kind of filibuster before the election this year, and I'll bet it'll be over this jobs bill.

[Individualist]

29. That's what New Democrats/DLC members do.

They enable neocons.