House Republican Leader John A. Boehner and his No. 2, Whip Eric Cantor, told their rank-and-file members Tuesday morning during a closed-door meeting to oppose the bill when it comes to the floor Wednesday, according to an aide familiar with the discussion. Boehner told members that he's voting against the stimulus, and Cantor told the assembled Republicans that there wasn't any reason for them to support the measure, according to another person in the room. Cantor and his whip team are going to urge GOP members to oppose it.Got that? In the House, the GOP is openly telling its membership that there is no reason to support the Obama stimulus. None. Obama is wasting the country's valuable time by talking to them. There is no reason they will support his legislation, so why bother trying to craft a bipartisan package? Granted, John Boehner and Eric Cantor are the Bulk and Skull of GOP politics anyway. I mean honestly, is there any more meaningless job than House Minority Leader when the margin the other side has is so huge, they roll you on everything? Who cares what Boner and Cannot think anyway?
In a nod to the president, Boehner did point out that this is the third time that Obama has met with Republican leaders, compared with the zero meetings they've held with Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) — a now-familiar refrain from Republicans in the House. But Obama’s diplomacy clearly isn’t buying any votes yet.
And over in the Senate, Mitch is prepping the boys of Gamma Tau Moron to get Delta House.
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) said on NBC's "Today" show Tuesday morning that Democrats in Congress are "drifting away" from Obama's preferred stimulus plan, which was supposed to include 40 percent tax cuts and be free of earmarks.As Brad from Sadly, No! says:
“Listening to what he said he wanted, we think we may be closer to that, oddly enough, than the Democratic majority, which seems to be pulling in the direction of fewer tax — less tax relief and things like fixing up the [National] Mall. You know, most people don't think that's the way we ought to spend stimulus money,” McConnell said.
Dude, they want you to fail. They’re not going to do anything to help you. So just put the best policy you can out there and let that be that. If it works well then you’ll be rewarded for it. If not, then you’ll be punished. That’s politics.If the Republicans want to be meaningless obstructionist dipsticks, let them. You have enough Democrats to get the job done. Do the job. The GOP will be forced to come around.
Is this manhandling un-American? Shouldn't we be shooting for bipartisan love here? Sure. After the GOP understands what Obama means by "I won."