Congratulations on your article being published Michael. I wonder what happened to the spirit of change and bipartisanship that was supposed to take over Washington. President Obabma as much as told the Republicans I won and you will have to live with it. Republians were essentially excluded from the process, with the exception of three needed to pass the bill in the Senate. The democratic party was hardly unified behind the Stimulus bill. In addition, President Obama did have to expend political capital to get this bill passed, in partiular in bringing back the familiar politics of fear, rather than his mantra of hope and change.
Michael, I agree with you that this is a very important victory for Obama. He acted quickly and made tough decisions. And lets remember, this financial crisis has been left to him by George Bush. Hopefully now, Obama will be able to work on things he talked about and promised during his campaign.
Congrats on your article and it's time to "Hit the Ground Running" people need help now, we need to address our infrastructure now. The Republicans have nothing to offer but but more of the failed policies of the last 8 yrs.
congrats on the article. We all need to start working together, and stop the bickering. As far as the lack of bipartisan support, when they are asking the administration to compromise on important parts of the bill, it is no wonder the administration wouldn't budge. I didn't vote for them to go back to failed policies.
It was a significant win because it made possible future wins and hopefully more cooperation from the Republicans. I hope Obama continues to reach out to the Republicans, even if he is rebuffed each time.
I follow politics closely and I have no opinion about government, which is printable, but I do have opinions re: writers and pendants ---some are evenhanded and impersonal most are just beating their chests with ink on paper or microphones and camera. It appears that you have the former approach to what you write and about whom you write. It is a rare talent to write as if one were standing 3000 feet away and had a month to analyze the truths. You would have made a great judge, but you chose journalism as a medium of expression. I will not cite your legal work, just thanks for remaining human in a very aggressive world.
I visited the Ruse site yesterday and left a comment, great read without feathers and opinion. I see that today’s article, Feb 12, 2009 take is a positive report on work done and again fact based without feathers or gremlins. Thank you.
Congratulations. Hope to see more of your articles. I also hope to see less opposition in Washington and more willingness to work together. I've made up my mind to vote everyone out that I can who does not try to work as a team.
A great read. From a Canadian perspective, Obama is the best thing to happen to American politics in a long, long time. (This is evidenced by the hundreds of Canadian citizens who travelled to Washington for the Inauguration.) The show of Republican non-support indicates a rough road ahead for your new President. Apparently, they forgot really fast who got America into this ecomess to start with! Thankfully George has kept his pie-hole shut and out of it. Congratulations on you impartiality and an article extremely well written.
Some criticize the president for not getting enough bipartisan support for the bailout. It is very difficult to get broad bipartisan support when the opposition party refuses to compromise. It is obvious the majority of Republican law makers are choosing to be obstructionists rather them making an honest effort to do what is the best for the country. Rigid ideology is not what this country needs. Rigid ideology is what got us into the mess we are in.
Republicans are likely to pay the price for their obstructionism in the 2010 elections.
Good article Michael. I agree with James C., Obama should continue to reach out to the opposition. If they do not respond in a positive manner that is their problem not Obama's.
Ariel: "Republians were essentially excluded from the process." This is flatly untrue. Obama met first with Republicans, and went to their terf to do so. What you mean is he would not allow them to do away with the very underpinnings of the stimulus bill. Yes, and thank heavens he doesn't cave to more of the last 8 years in Washington DC. We elected him to do what he's doing. Change.
One invites others to join him, listens carefully to their concerns and moves as much as possible toward them, encouraging them to do the same. It's call compromise, and apparently the REpublicans in Congress do not know how to do it. Rigidness is their trademark and they will not be able to get their concerns met with that attitude. It is not the president's job to mollycoddle the legislature, they need to learn give and take. He held out his hand and they slapped it down. So be it.
Gee, I should never read the comments before I write mine. I came here to say, Michael that I read the very good, even-handed article at Ruse and tried to comment but that site locks up on me so I couldnt' comment there. I would have written:
What a good read, Michael. Thank you. I admire your even-handedness, but have to wonder if we can still call the opposition "loyal'. What they wish for is the failure of our country to recover, prolonging suffering for the citizens and the loss of national standing as a international leader. That seems too high a price for a political "told you so."
The American people are facing some very difficult issues. Petty, partisan bickering is not an option. Doing nothing is not an option.
Congratulations to President Obama for taking the bull by the horns and jump starting our stagnant economy. In my opinion, the Republicans have no credibility. They sat by during George Bushes first six years in office as he turned a huge surplus into a huge deficit, never vetoing a Republican spending bill.
Now they cry and whine as President Obama spends in order to fix the mess left behind for the American people.
Michael, read your 'right-on' article and smiled all the way through it. Okay, so perhaps gloating wasn't the right feeling, but after the GOP pulled their obstructionist act... again... it surely was delightful to read your words. My dress is picked!
The Republicans were congratulated by the head of their party, Druggie Limbaugh, on not voting for the stimulus package.
They don't want bipartisanship, they want the same type of unthinking fealty they received from the wingnut right during the reign of error.
The American people bitch slapped them the last two elections, and they're still acting like terriers on a cowpie. They don't get it.
Congratulations to President Obama, but he's going to have to get used to rolling over the Republicons because they're more interested in power than their country.
Dems are only interesting in turning us into a socialized country...cradle to grave care by the govt. equals no freedom...I wonder if most voters even know that when they voted...and even more so I wonder if that is what they what when they voted...
Congratulations Michael! I believe the same people who told us to respect the President when Mr. Bush was president are now saying it's OK to no respect our President. The same people who asked for bipartisan working together when they had the majority no longer think this is important. Why do I keep thinking of these people being selfish and the reason we are in this mess?
"Dems are only interesting in turning us into a socialized country..."
Jeff. Why is it patriotic to build schools, bridges and other infrastructure in Iraq but building it here in the United States is considered socialist in your eyes?
Sounds like you just don't like the new administration. What are you going to do when this stimulus plan begins to work? What excuses will you have then?
"cradle to grave care by the govt." Jeff's words above.
I do believe the government should care for the sick, elderly, and children. What is wrong with that? Is it socialistic? If they are suppose to be doing this now, it's not being done very well. Not when you have elderly woman, men on streets, or sleeping in cars. Not when you have cut backs on schools, and do not offer art or music, important subjects that make a child grow emotionally. The sick are behind closed doors in over crowded nursing homes, in locked down units, known as Alzheimer's units, or they are walking the streets, known as the caught in between's. Take care of cradle to grave? "YES". The in between age, you grow and help others.
I read your article, Michael. It was good. I hope everything goes as visioned. If mother nature will behave this year, and I don't think she will, America may make some progress in the right direction. (Maybe) What happens to a nation when it's at it's weakest?
great article Michael. I think the new Pres, has been thrown into the lions den. He's got a lot to do after eight years of money spent on wars. Rose Lamatt, Feb 14, 2009, 10:13am EST
Poor baby, yes he has been thrown into the lion's den, and has been rolled by Pelosi like he was a cheap cigar. Obama better grow a backbone, this country cannot spend its way out of this economic disaster---it has never been done before.
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Comments: 25
I visited the Ruse site yesterday and left a comment, great read without feathers and opinion. I see that today’s article, Feb 12, 2009 take is a positive report on work done and again fact based without feathers or gremlins. Thank you.
Congratulations on you impartiality and an article extremely well written.
Republicans are likely to pay the price for their obstructionism in the 2010 elections.
One invites others to join him, listens carefully to their concerns and moves as much as possible toward them, encouraging them to do the same. It's call compromise, and apparently the REpublicans in Congress do not know how to do it. Rigidness is their trademark and they will not be able to get their concerns met with that attitude. It is not the president's job to mollycoddle the legislature, they need to learn give and take. He held out his hand and they slapped it down. So be it.
What a good read, Michael. Thank you. I admire your even-handedness, but have to wonder if we can still call the opposition "loyal'. What they wish for is the failure of our country to recover, prolonging suffering for the citizens and the loss of national standing as a international leader. That seems too high a price for a political "told you so."
The American people are facing some very difficult issues. Petty, partisan bickering is not an option. Doing nothing is not an option.
Congratulations to President Obama for taking the bull by the horns and jump starting our stagnant economy. In my opinion, the Republicans have no credibility. They sat by during George Bushes first six years in office as he turned a huge surplus into a huge deficit, never vetoing a Republican spending bill.
Now they cry and whine as President Obama spends in order to fix the mess left behind for the American people.
Once again. Great article.
The Republicans were congratulated by the head of their party, Druggie Limbaugh, on not voting for the stimulus package.
They don't want bipartisanship, they want the same type of unthinking fealty they received from the wingnut right during the reign of error.
The American people bitch slapped them the last two elections, and they're still acting like terriers on a cowpie. They don't get it.
Congratulations to President Obama, but he's going to have to get used to rolling over the Republicons because they're more interested in power than their country.
Jeff. Why is it patriotic to build schools, bridges and other infrastructure in Iraq but building it here in the United States is considered socialist in your eyes?
Sounds like you just don't like the new administration. What are you going to do when this stimulus plan begins to work? What excuses will you have then?
I do believe the government should care for the sick, elderly, and children. What is wrong with that? Is it socialistic? If they are suppose to be doing this now, it's not being done very well. Not when you have elderly woman, men on streets, or sleeping in cars. Not when you have cut backs on schools, and do not offer art or music, important subjects that make a child grow emotionally. The sick are behind closed doors in over crowded nursing homes, in locked down units, known as Alzheimer's units, or they are walking the streets, known as the caught in between's. Take care of cradle to grave? "YES". The in between age, you grow and help others.
Rose Lamatt, Feb 14, 2009, 10:13am EST
Poor baby, yes he has been thrown into the lion's den, and has been rolled by Pelosi like he was a cheap cigar. Obama better grow a backbone, this country cannot spend its way out of this economic disaster---it has never been done before.