Curmudgeon's Corner

Bipartisanship?

Posted by Al Campbell on Feb. 4, 2010

Economy, Political, Quality of Life, Taxes, U.S., Wisconsin

Bipartisanship has been the cry from the Obama Administration since it took office.  “Give us your recommendations Republicans, don’t just sit on the sidelines and snipe at ours.”

Finally, Obama met with the Republicans during their recent meeting in Baltimore and had the press there to dutifully record this “historic” event.  He was there, he said, to listen to their ideas and to open the door to bipartisanship for the good of the country.  There was some give and take, but most of the televised portion could easily have been scripted for all the “news” it provided.

Obama actually singled out our own Rep. Paul Ryan (R-WI) during that meeting as an example of a bright young mind.  That didn’t last long however.

Ryan brought forward his version of a budget for our country that has received very solid reviews by the Director of the Congressional Budget Office.

What does the White House do with this perfect display of the bipartisanship it claims to seek?

It bashed Ryan’s budget rather than to try to learn from it.  This is not the way to achieve true bipartisanship.  One doesn’t beg for input on one day and slam the input on the next when the press is gathered around.

Remember the old saw about people being the “smartest people in the room”?  On budget matters, at least, Paul Ryan is one of the smartest guys in the room.  The President would do very well to take a long hard look at Ryan’s budget rather than to toss it in the political dung heap with a trite put-down.

Ryan even tackles some of the “third rail” issues in this budget with aplomb; of course that will be demonized by the Democrats, as usual.  That is what they are good at, and apparently they found a President that is really in tune with them.

And people in politics wonder why the Tea Party movement has engaged so many so quickly?

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The Curmudgeon Blog today is titled "Senator Thompson?".