Stimulus Package Fails To Unite Parties
4793278It looks like President Obama will sign a stimulus package bill, as he predicted he would by President's Day, February 16. It won't be with the fanfare he had hoped for in accomplishing his first major piece of legislation, which in this very difficult economic time is akin to an emergency landing on water.
Despite efforts to create an atmosphere of civility and bipartisanship, Mr. Obama only managed to convince three Republican senators to come over his side. Even public support for his economic plans has waned over the last few weeks, a reminder that 47 percent of voters didn't check his name on the ballot and that changing the partisan attitude in Washington will take far more than inviting the opposition to the White House to watch a football game.
In response to a question about bipartisanship during his prime time press conference
this week, Mr. Obama said, "You know, when I made a series of overtures to the Republicans, going over to meet with both Republican caucuses, you know, putting three Republicans in my cabinet — something that is unprecedented — making sure that they were invited here to the White House to talk about the economic recovery plan, all those were not designed simply to get some short-term votes. They were designed to try to build up some trust over time."
Video: "And I think that, as I continue to make these overtures, over time, hopefully that will be reciprocated."
Mr. Obama is resolute and persistent in trying to change the atmosphere in Washington over time. At this juncture, however, he is not having a lot of luck. Today, his Republican nominee for Commerce secretary, Judd Gregg, had a change of heart and bowed out of the position, citing irreconcilable differences in philosophy that would not allow Mr. Gregg to be himself.
"I couldn't be Judd Gregg and serve in the Cabinet," Gregg said during a brief press conference this afternoon. Given Gregg once voted to abolish the Commerce Department, it's not all that surprising that he came to perceive himself, with the help of his Republican colleagues, as a fish out of water in the Obama Cabinet.
For Mr. Obama, salting his Cabinet with some Republican DNA, in hopes of bridging the divide and diminishing the rancor in Washington, is part of his strategic plan. He will need to go back to the drawing board.