By Bill Press
Barack Obama has only been president since Jan. 20, but he's already learned a powerful lesson: Bipartisanship is a myth. At least, it's a myth at this time in Washington, with this gang of negative, out-of-touch, calcified Republicans led by the clueless John Boehner.
God knows he tried. Even before being sworn in as president, Obama traveled to Capitol Hill to meet with House and Senate Republicans. In his first week in office, he invited Republican leaders to the White House. But he didn't stop there. In a gesture seldom seem in partisan-bound Washington how often did George W. Bush go to Congress to meet with Democrats? Obama drove up to Capitol Hill to have lunch with Republican members.
Both in his speeches and actions, Obama's extended the hand of bipartisanship to Republicans. And how did they respond? By stabbing him in the back. When his $819 billion stimulus package came up on the House floor, not one Republican voted for it. Not one. So much for bipartisanship.
Obama's wasting his time seeking bipartisanship. Not that it's not a worthy goal. In fact, that's just what the American people want: for leaders of both parties to put aside their differences, sit down together, and get to work solving problems. And, clearly, working in a bipartisan manner is what Obama wants. But not Republicans. They chose, instead, to reject the will of the American people, ignore the grave economic crisis facing the nation, and slap, not shake, the hand of friendship Barack Obama extended across the aisle.
Why? Because Republicans care more about their party than their country.
