Regrettably, for those of us who would like to see politicians acting cooperatively and responsibly, morning reactions to Obama's "jobs plan" talk last night are predictably partisan, with left-wingers delighted and right-wingers dismissive.
As a middle-of-the-road pragmatist (one of few, I guess, who have survived in the middle of the road despite the traffic racing frantically toward the extremes) I think the Pres did a pretty good job of putting the onus for gridlock where it belongs. I even appreciate his using the word "obstruct," echoing my coinage for the Republican Party's grand old acronym: Geezers Obstructing Progress. The only thing I might have added to his talk, which I didn't hear, is to ensure that the FEMA has sufficient funds to help families and businesses deal with all the additional misery and destruction that weather has brought the country this year, from broiling in Texas to flooding on the east coast, with tornadoes and floods in between.
By building a proposal of elements that both parties have accepted (even championed) in the past, the administration has done the best it can to spur action. It will take a bit of time to see if deeds actually change behind the words of the immediate reactions for the media. But those reactions will tell us a great deal. I'd guess that if Republicans want to stick to their uncompromising ways, with the sole goal of unseating Obama in 2012, they may win that battle, but badly lose a war: We may end next year with a Republican President, but at the same time might see so many Republican Representatives and Congressmen swept away that we'll be left with a strong Democratic majority in both houses.
I maintain faith: The American people are not fools.
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