A Further Perspective
Yes to the Party of No
It takes two to be bipartisan, Mr. President.
In a column posted from his visit to the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, the further-left-every-year NY Times columnist Tom Friedman offers us this gem from the echo chamber:
It was hard to read President Obama’s eloquent State of the Union address and not feel torn between his vision for the coming years and the awareness that the forces of inertia and special interests blocking him — not to mention the whole Republican Party — make the chances of his implementing that vision highly unlikely. That is the definition of “stuck.” And right now we are stuck.
The sad and frustrating thing is, we are so close to being unstuck. If there were just six or eight Republican senators — a few more Judd Greggs and Lindsey Grahams — ready to meet Obama somewhere in the middle on deficit reduction, energy, health care and banking reform, I believe that in the wake of the Massachusetts wake-up call the president would indeed meet them in that middle ground to forge not just incremental compromises, but substantial ones on these key issues. But so far, the Republicans are having a good year politically by just being the Party of No.
Are you serious, Tom? You must be standing too near George Soros and other billionaire haters of capitalism and the United States.
Feeling torn between “Obama’s vision” and forces blocking him? That’s like feeling torn between bacterial meningitis and antibiotics. For the sake of our children, Tom, please hope that Obama stays stuck.
Beyond the insult to Judd Gregg of comparing him to Lindsey Graham, just what about Barack Obama’s words, actions, or history makes Friedman think that Obama wants to “meet somewhere in the middle” on any issue or that “meeting in the middle” is a recipe for success? Was it the Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act, aka McCain-Feingold, the most direct (and finally mostly overturned) assault on the First Amendment since the Alien and Sedition Acts? Was it the bipartisan McCain-Kennedy immigration bill, which collapsed under overwhelming opposition from Americans across the political spectrum? Was it the Democrats’ refusal to let Republicans participate in health care “reform” debates? Or was it Nancy Pelosi’s sending all Republican Congressmen who went to the Copenhagen Climate Summit back to the hotel on a bus so they could not participate in the Congressional press conference? Really, Tom, just what in our recent history makes you think that bipartisanship for its own sake is a good idea? And what in the history of this administration and this Congress makes you think it’s even possible?
No, a call for bipartisanship, wondering why the GOP is simply being the “Party of No” is a fig leaf; it is a weak, desperate attempt by Democrats to explain why they, with commanding majorities in both houses of Congress and a president who had (but squandered) more goodwill more quickly than any president during my lifetime. I don’t want the Republicans to stop being the “Party of No” any more than I want antibiotics to “give peace a chance” when they enter the bloodstream and encounter an invader.
Some people theorized that Scott Brown’s election might cause Obama to triangulate like Bill Clinton. My view remains that Obama is a committed ideologue and not interested in triangulation. His State of the Union address and his jaw-dropping next-generation-robbing budget have proven me right. Friedman well knows that bipartisanship has come to mean conservatives moving to support liberal big-government plans and policies. Period.
Yes, Tom, there are “special interests” working to block President Obama from implementing his agenda. They are the most special interests of all: the fundamental character of Americans to be self-reliant, to fight for our liberty, and to do whatever we can — consistently for almost 500 years — to be Americans, not Europeans despite the wishes of people like Barack Obama and Thomas Friedman.
There is no “compromise” to be had between a supporter of Card Check and people who believe in the sanctity of a secret ballot. There is no “compromise” to be had between ObamaCare and the sanctity of a patient/doctor relationship. There is no “compromise” to be had between savaging banks, energy companies, and any other temporarily unpopular industry and the importance of a free market system. There is no “compromise” to be had between disease and health, between the plague of Progressivism and the lifeblood of our nation that is our personal and economic liberty.
I have never in my life been more thankful for the Party of No and it says good things about the wakening American electorate — perhaps the first good things in more than a decade — that the Republicans are indeed having a good year politically by being that Party.
About the Author
Ross Kaminsky is a self-employed trader and investor and is a senior fellow of the Heartland Institute. He is the host of The Ross Kaminsky Show on Denver’s NewsRadio 850 KOA at 11 AM on most Sundays. You can reach Ross by e-mail at rossputin(at)rossputin(dot)com.
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Ret. Marine| 2.9.10 @ 6:35AM
I concure, there is nothing like a party of No stoppping a take-over of our liberties. Not just NO, but, HELL NO, we won't have any part in this attempt to rob us of our God-given liberties, be it Cap-n-trap us all into higher energy costs, Card slap in the faces of privacy, or the Health Collision between the nanny and our Doctors. This pretender-n-theif can go pound sand. I won't live by the dictates of his stupidity, nor should any honest to God fearing American. He will meet road-blocks at every turn as he should, We the People are not his serfs or personal piggy banks. At this point in his failed transformation attempt, the best thing he could do, if he were really concerned about this Country's future, is RESIGN before he faces sedition and treason charges. Beyond fed-up. Semper Fi.
jason| 2.9.10 @ 9:28PM
I think you have got it all wrong when it comes to liberties and the cap-n-trade and even with health care. Check out this article I saw on the constitutionality of the health debate and the mandate it pushes on the American people. But this article here claims the health bill does abide by the constitution, here is the proof:
http://bit.ly/constitnmandate
JohnMD1022| 2.11.10 @ 1:13PM
First, in this blog (not article), the author quotes a section of Article I of the Constitution. Why, I do not understand, as that portion of Section 8 applies only to the District of Columbia.
Second, Amendment XVI applies to the collection of taxes. This is not the same as mandating a purchase of a service.
Third, the Preamble to the Constitution establishes no powers or rights. It is a general statement of the purpose of the Constitution, the specifics of which are then stated in the various Articles. Consequently, the general welfare clause is meaningless in this regard.
The whole post is specious.
Alan Brooks| 2.9.10 @ 10:56PM
Then why the hell do you-- with all the talent in the country-- keep nominating, running, and electing GOP mediocrities?
You must be the most conflicted people on Earth
-- your own worst enemies.
Gerald Stephens| 2.9.10 @ 7:05AM
MUST READ...
Ronald Kessler's latest fact finding.
Gerald Stephens
Hartford CT
elainej| 2.9.10 @ 5:00PM
Are you referring to his book about the secret service? If not--please elaborate---thanks.
Richard Baker| 2.9.10 @ 7:14AM
To Hell with bi-partisanship. Liberals only ask for it when they are losing the day. Down with the tyrants and up with the Constitution. You know, that document that the Kenyan and his supporters can't stand. It's too "limiting."
LQQKY| 2.9.10 @ 11:05AM
As has been said many times before:
"BIPARTISANSHIP TO THE DUMOCRATS IS DEFINED AS EVERYONE ELSE AGREEING WITH THEM!"
Nuff sed.
I wholeheartedly agree with Ret. Marine and hope the Republican will take on his mantra: NOT NO but HELL NO! Hoorah!
Urgent note to the Republican leadership (not necessarily an oxymoron):
Please do not let yourselves be sucked in. Use the mantra at every opportunity. The minute you agree with the dumocrats about anything, the meeting will be closed, and the MSM will begin trumpeting that the crist-child has won!
Use your excellent healthcare benefits to get backbone transplants before the meeting, and use that new backbone or you will once again be snookered.
Nick| 2.9.10 @ 2:21PM
Mr. Baker,
Bullseye, to you and Mr. Kaminsky.
Liberals are like the evil guy in a movie, hanging from whatever (cliff or tall building), who suckers the good guy into helping him back up, and then tries to take the hero down.
Is the Republican leadership stupid enough to fall for it?
Sadly, I don't know. That is our problem.
To: Messrs. McConnell and Boehner
Re: Kick President Dither off the cliff!
Lawrence Boccardi| 2.9.10 @ 7:21AM
John McCain spent an entire career reaching across the aisle. Now, he can labor, in obscurity, alongside "them", the rest of his public service. Obama is a marxist ideologue, and his denials ring hollow. If the Republicans fall for this rope-a-dope of a healthcare summit, I'll never again open my checkbook.
JW| 2.9.10 @ 8:05AM
The word "bipartisan" should never cross the lips of any conservative/republican elected official ever again b/c the word has been highjacked by the liberals and MSM to mean "go left and agree to do it the liberal/democrate way. So come up with another word to denote "cooperation". No matter who uses the word now (lib or coserv) the meaning to my ear is to allow the liberals to do what they want. What has bipartisan given us recently: McCain/Fingold, Bush allowing Ted Kennedy to write an Education Bill etc. When "bipartisanship" is requested it is always by a liberal democrate (and MSM) who wants everyone to do it their way.
C.L.C| 2.9.10 @ 1:52PM
Exactly. I remember thinking, after W. won in 2000, if you woke up from a coma a year later you would not have known a republican had won the election. How's that bipartisanship working out for you?
Shamus| 2.9.10 @ 8:29AM
Voters had no idea who they were electing in 2008. The deceptive campaign run by Obama was able to fool enough of the people to get him elected, but now he finds it difficult to maintain the deception. Obama, like Nixon, is always saying he wants to make things clear, when in fact he wants exactly the opposite.
Ross Kaminsky | 2.9.10 @ 9:14AM
Interestingly, the Washington Times has an article today entitled "President's bipartisan call hits wall of dissent".
It talks about how there will be basically no bipartisan cooperation on Obama's current top agenda items, with Republicans refusing to compromise on campaign finance and health care, Democrats refusing to support free trade, and the president's own budget showing he is not serious about promoting domestic nuclear energy or oil drilling.
http://www.washingtontimes.com.....f-dissent/
Gosoled | 2.9.10 @ 9:25AM
The sad and frustrating thing is, we are so close to being unstuck.
www.gosoled.com
Ray Spitz| 2.9.10 @ 9:41AM
I have never quite understood "bipartisanship." Always, the Left seems to get at least some of what they want and we seem to get nothing. It is sort of like negotiating with a burglar to keep half of your possessions (instead of, say, shooting him).
And, with a deal like that, both the Left and the burglar will be back later for more...
A. C. Santore| 2.9.10 @ 10:19AM
Hooray for the Truth. Thanks, Mr. Kaminsky and letter writers. Hooray for the Truth!
PolishKnight| 2.9.10 @ 10:43AM
The notion of liberal "bipartisanship" is for the right to move halfway to the left incrementally. It's the classic premise behind fabian socialism. Moving halfway towards free market solutions, such as tort reform for healthcare for example, are totally out of the question.
Mattled| 2.9.10 @ 10:47AM
I see Moochelle Obama started her "Let's Move" campaign today.
For a second I thought they were "moving out" of the White House! (Sigh)
We'll see in less than three years I suppose.
MOS was 71331| 2.9.10 @ 2:25PM
Excellent spelling of the first lady's name, and totally consistent with her career as a lawyer employed to help her hospital employer get more money through her husband's direction of Illinois tax funds their way. I'll use that spelling from now on (as I now use "0"bama -- with a zero).
Pete| 2.9.10 @ 10:50AM
Moochelle, I like that. Didn't I read somewhere that she has something like 12 personal attendants on call to do her bidding - some 4x what any other first lady has had? Odd, you don't see stories about that in the MSM?
Prashant Rao| 2.9.10 @ 10:56AM
If the Republicans are the Party of Saying No, the Democrats are the Party of Achieving No.
No jobs
No end to deficits
No reduction in debt
No future
Ralph Novy| 2.9.10 @ 1:08PM
All these accusations that Obama & Co. have essentially rejected bipartisanship on a number of major issues WOULD have some credibility IF the Republicans hadn't, time after time, said "Yes, something needs to be done about this" (e.g., health care, financial markets, the federal deficit) and then, when pressed for details, either have nothing at all to offer, or trot out tactics that have been shown to be ineffective.
It's not necessarily a bad thing to simply "obstruct." Some governmental actions SHOULD be obstructed. However, it IS a bad thing to obstruct while you're SAYING you're not.
wwwexler| 2.11.10 @ 3:12PM
Ralphie, repubs CAN'T obstruct because you libs have had super-majorities in both houses of congress!!!
Sucks to be you, huh?
VinnieCCT| 2.9.10 @ 1:11PM
I am Republican, and I am proud to be a member of the Party of NO...
NO more progressive agenda!
NO more raping of the Constitution!
NO more unfair taxes!
NO more expensive welfare programs!
NO more abandoning morals!
NO more ignoring the people's will!
NO more compromise!
NO more lost Liberty!
NO more lost Hope!
Republican - Party of NO socialism
Pingback| 2.9.10 @ 2:28PM
Yes, Mr. President, there are other health care plans…if you REALLY want to listen links to this page. Here’s an excerpt:
Glenn Bowman| 2.9.10 @ 2:46PM
An outstanding piece of political commentary. I wish I was so eloquent.
martin j smith| 2.9.10 @ 4:31PM
During the GWB administration the Democrat Party and their leftist fellow travelers constantly heaped hate on everything Bush said or did to the point of talking about Bush' assaciation including a movie on that topic. Along with this, the Democrat Party's behavior under Obama is so full of itself--arrogance,hypocritical,hate speech towards ANY opposition you name it--including excluding republicans from disucssions of legislation such as healthcare. Now, Obama, the guy who actively particpated in this charade wants" bipartisanship " No !!! N0!!! N0!111
The Democrat Party has to be put on probation--or is it parole-no probation--and prove in behavior that bi-partisandship means something other than what we have been exposed to since who knows how long. In the mean time, if a Democrat Plan is bad for our country--its NO!!! until there is a verifyable ( trust but verify ) change in the Democrat Party's behavior.
elainej| 2.9.10 @ 4:42PM
Great article--took the words out of my mouth!!! Ditto on all the comments, really liked 'Hell No, 'back transplant' and Moochelle moving--it would great if they were moving. Twelve attendants??? I knew she had a lot but that is ridiculous---she shouldn't have more than one or two.
Neo| 2.9.10 @ 5:14PM
What comes around .. goes around ...Mr. Bush Obama has reacted by railing against Democrats Republicans for obstruction - as if Democrats Republicans are duty-bound to breathe life into his agenda and, even sillier, as if opposing a plan that the people do not want is an illegitimate tactic for an opposition party.
Rather than accept defeat and consider alternatives, Mr. Bush Obama is becoming even more feckless as public and political opposition mounts. On Tuesday, in a lame ploy to draw the Democrats Republicans to the table, he ...
Ross Kaminsky | 2.9.10 @ 6:03PM
Thanks to all of you for the compliments and comments.
Ross K
MikeD| 2.9.10 @ 9:25PM
If ANYBODY in America made any of the horrible, foul, disgusting, evil comments about obama that the libs and lefties and their demented allies in the media and academia made about George Bush; they'd be arrested under some provision of the unconstitutional hate crime laws the demoncraps slithered through attached to the military funding bill.
Additionally, referring to the mention of Richard Nixon; it was only a pure coincidence that Lightbulb Johnson wasn't caught on tape doing some of the hideous and illegal things HE got away with until he was forced out. Ditto for Jimma Cahteh. His motivation wasn't evil, it was incompetence; a fact he continues to reinforce every time he opens his mouth.
Regarding obama; he probably doesn't even know why he looked so completely ridiculous speaking to elementary school kids using a TELEPROMPTER! He couldn't even be trusted to be smarter than 6th graders! At least THEY probably know the correct pronounciation of the word 'corpsman'! Semper Fi to Retired Marine. I love your posts!
C.K. Amos| 2.9.10 @ 11:05PM
"The sad and frustrating thing is, we are so close to being unstuck," Friedman's quoted.
Would that be like Billy Pilgrim in the late Kurt Vonnegut's "Slaugtherhouse Five"?
Maybe Freidman, Obama and the rest the Chicago thugs' thugs and the Democrats, liberals and leftists, as well as the state-controlled minion media, will soon be on Trafalmador?
One can always hope.
Yosemeti Sam| 2.10.10 @ 6:07AM
Folks, I discontinued buying the nyt around 2003.
Something like $ 600 bucks per year saved!
Times 7 years now, yielded - in my temporal pockets - roughly $ 4200 'Washingtons'.
At the very least - given the nyt newspapers' per copy price increases due to progressively falling readership.
Now, what could one do with a $ 4200 - windfall?
Why, spend it of course on - more important things then reading the progressive blather of liberal columnist world-views !
They - the liberals - do so preen themselves on
their elitist paternalistic claptrap.
Dave | 2.10.10 @ 10:05AM
Not being a card carrying intellectual, I guess my best description of Obama's call for bipartisanship negoiations on his healthcare bill is kind of like this:
It's like picking lint off of a lime green suit. You can pick and pluck all you want, but at the end of the picking ... it's still a lime green suit. And no one wants to see that.
Pingback| 2.25.10 @ 8:02AM
ObamaCare’s last stand arrives today : Peoples Press Collective links to this page. Here’s an excerpt:
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