Arizona's First Political Blog

E-mail Anonymous Mike at zonitics4-at-yahoo.com

By Anonymous Mike, pseudonymously.

 
Seeing the Doctor for Ideological Blockage

I loved the term "ideological blockage" that President Obama used during his press conference last night. Like concerns about the spending and tax package that are grounded in differences in policies and outlook are problems to be cured through either a doctor or a plumber rather than normal aspects of a healthy democracy.

Given that there is more than way to skin the cat... er.... use the power of the federal government to "stimulate" the economy why is the President casting opponents of the specific plan in Congress as harmful to the interests of the country. People used to criticize George W. for "with us or against us" rhetoric in regard to international terrorists, but I don't hear many peeps from them on the current occupant of the White House saying that those like me who hate the current bill because it's Daviid Obey's Christmas list essentially want to flush the country down the toilet.

Here's the thing that's most troubling, all of the rhetoric. all of that painting the opposition as the "other" (I never seem to hear specific names of those of who are pushing only tax cuts instead of spending) is just so unecessary.

The spending and tax "stimulus" bill is, contrary to the perception the President gave last night, not being held up in Congress but roaring through. It just cleared the big hurdle in the Senate by meeting the cloture vote. The next big step for proponents is to make sure that the bill isn't loaded up in conference with all things the 3 pro-bill Republicans in the Senate hated. In other words nothing needs to change for the President to win.

Plus what was more bipartisan? The 3 Republicans in the Senate voting for the bill or the 11 Democrats in the House voting against? I guess the Senate by a narrow percentage but you could claim opposition to the bill was bipartisan almost as much as its support.

So why is the President in full campaign-attack mode on a bill that is already well on its way to passage? Is all of this about passing the bill or rather counting coup for developing political capital?
posted by Anonymous Mike at 5:47 AM