*quality hypocrisy

Boosting this quality contribution up in the Hot Listing - declared quality by gwiz665.

Is anyone surprised? Seriously, didn't we see memos circulated by the Republican leadership -before- we even had a bill, that instructed their members to vote against it, as the best chance they had to ruin Obama's chances of success?

Given the effectiveness of their strategies (block everything, do nothing), why in the world would anyone expect anything different?

^No surprises, but it's important to rub their noses in it.

Maybe, but in reality, they seem to be sociopaths, with no sense of shame or empathy. In which case, rubbing their noses in it isn't really going to accomplish much of anything.

If I had to name a single reason why our country is in the horrible shape it is, I would say that we've let the psychopaths/sociopaths have -way- too much power. Worse, we've let them rework -our- society to a point at which their particular flaws are considered strengths. Perhaps not overtly, but they are the traits we now choose to reward.

1. The health care plan as of today is a failure. Pull the bills that are currently in the House and Senate and toss them in the trash. They are hopelessly compromised with corruption. Until ALL versions of the Health Care bill are currently erased from the equation there is no reason for the GOP to lift a finger.

2. The GOP has already published (several times) their ideas. They have routinely and consistently been rejected by Obama. Obama keeps making vague, slippery dodges of this issue. "No economist I have talked to agrees with this approach..." Oh really? What economists? What were their names? When did you talk to them? What did they say, specifically? Who witnessed these alleged conversations? Sadly, Obama is a man who you have to apply this level of rigor to his statements. He 'claims' a ton of crap, and there is never any evidence to support it. The fact remains that the GOP has already supplied Obama with a very detailed plan. It's on their website right now. The GOP doesn't need to show up at another stupid Obama summit to go over it again.

3. Political stupidity to even offer the appearance of consultation with an administration as disingenous and full of lies & deception as Obama & the current congress. If the GOP goes the Democrats will claim (no matter what actually happens) that the Republicans agreed with everything they wanted. The Democrats want a few RINOs to show up so they can now claim the bill is 'bipartisan'. They may toss in one or two concessions, but the fundamental bill will be unaltered. Why should the GOP tie itself to such an epic fail? The public doesn't want it.

4. You also can't ignore Obama's attitude at the GOP retreat. He was invited to a GOP event and he did absolutely nothing except shake his finger at them and whine for 2 hours. Why should the GOP talke to him when it is plainly just another chance for Obama & the Dems to gripe at them for not 'letting' them do whatever they want (despite the fact that Dems have both houses).

The political reality is that the Democrats own both the House & Senate with overwhelming majorities. The fact that Obamacare didn't pass is a Democrat problem. They don't need the GOP except as a scapegoat. The polls are clear. Over 70% of US citizens have rejected Democrat health care reform. The Democrats needs to flush the entire thing and start all over with a genuine bipartisan bill based on the GOP's proposals as a starting point.

To finish - I'll quote a certain "Senator" who was talking about a certain "President" who is talking about a certain "initiative"...

"The fact of the matter is, is the president has been on his tour, and everywhere he goes the numbers just get worse. The American people have voted on this proposal and really what you have is a situation now where I think that the president and the Congress are going to need to figure out a way to save face and -- and step back a little bit. And if -- if they let go of their egos -- listen ... I've gotten in an argument and then at some point in the argument it dawns on me, you know what, I'm wrong on this one and it's -- it's -- it's irritating, it's frustrating. You don't want to admit it, and so to the extent that we can provide the president with a graceful mechanism to -- to say we're sorry, then I think that would be -- that would be helpful."
Wise words, eh? Senator Obama spoke these words. Maybe he should listen to himself...

^Oh Winstonfield, tell us what you REALLY think.

The way you frame it, the GOP are standing up for 'Real' Americans by nobly opposing health care reform. I'll bet in your day to day conversations you say "Death Panels" and "Socialism" at least once a day.

So sad.

Heh - well as much as anything else I was channelling why I think the GOP is smart for not going to Obama's summit. Politically speaking, the GOP has nothing to gain and everything to lose. Obama and the Democrats are the only ones that want their stinkburger of a plan to pass. That's political, but the GOP may be taking a stand on principle. Anyone opposed to government expansion is 100% right to stonewall this bill by whatever means.

I'm one of the many 'unaffiliated' voters that agrees Health Care in all its forms needs to be tossed in the trash. The voters have spoken. We want the government to focus on jobs, the economy, the deficit, debt reduction, and spending reduction. Obamacare, Cap & Tax, and all of Obama's social agenda items come out dead last in the polls. If I was "the GOP", I would be hitting the following message like a jackhammer.

"Obama & the democrats are pushing unpopular, unnecessary, unwanted, and wasteful government expansions at a time the American people want fiscal responsibility and financial conservativism. Our question to Obama, is to ask why he is wasting the nation's resources pushing his failed health care agenda? We in the GOP are focused on the issues the public is focused on: jobs, economic recovery, and thrift. We in the GOP have no interest in wasting our time at Obama's summit when far more important issues are facing our country. We invite Obama and the democrats - right now, today - to throw out their failed health care plan and abandon all health care reform until national unemployment has fallen below 7%. Stop focusing on luxuries the American people can't afford, Mr. President. Abandon your pride, Ms. Pelosi & Mr. Ried. Stop pushing your selfish agenda items, and focus on the people you were elected to serve."

I want to be a hypocrite now. It sounds like they get the best of everything.

>> ^Winstonfield_Pennypacker:
I'm one of the many 'unaffiliated' voters.....


hahahahaha....

Heh - well it's true. I can see how you would disagree, but the truth is what it is. My voter registration card is "Unaffil". I didn't vote for McCain, Bush2, Dole, or Bush1 - so I haven't voted 'Republican' in the past 20 years for President. As a matter of principle, I always vote for the party that opposes the sitting President in House & Senate elections. So when Bush1 & Bush2 were in office, I voted for Democrats in the congressional elections in some cases (where there was no 3rd party candidate I agreed with). I'm staunchly against big government spenders, and I think 'gridlock' is the best policy at the federal level.

So you classify what that is, if it pleases you. "Unaffiliated" does it for me.

Seems like the Republicans main goal is to simply stop anything from happening until they get back in office, something they can get away with because there is an apparent lack of accountability.

Seems like the Republicans main goal is to simply stop anything from happening until they get back in office, something they can get away with because there is an apparent lack of accountability.

So? That's a time-honored political tradition of both parties. Democrats stonewalled Bush as much as they could. I find it rather amusing that for 8 years the Democrats were staunchly the "party of NO!" under Bush. They were quite proud of it, in fact. I would go so far as to say they felt that being obstructionist made them 'patriotic' and was a virtuous position. I could even dig up quotes to that effect without too much trouble.

But of course the second a Democrat is the President the very same people start squealing like stuck pigs when people oppose THEIR agenda. Same thing happened under Clinton. The Republicans took the house in the mid-terms and all of a sudden 'obstructionism' and 'gridlock' were the most horrible things in the universe. "Oh nos! Gridlock! Head for the hills! Aaaaaaiigh!" Yeah - whatever. They did the same stuff to Bush1 and Reagan. Yawn. Cry us a river.

"Lack of accountability..." Accountability for what, exactly? Opposing Obama? How exactly should they be 'held accountable' for opposing a political agenda. Is that now a crime? If so, then why wasn't it a crime for Democrats to oppose Bush's agenda? Some people really need to quit being partisan cheerleaders and start thinking for themselves a bit more.

No one seems to recall the appointment filibustering by Dems in 2005: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nuclear_option

Oh, what a world of shit the GOP would be in now if only they had followed through with their heavy-handed threats.

No one seems to recall the appointment filibustering by Dems in 2005

Au contraire. I think people remember Democrat obstructionism quite clearly. That's why this current spate of Democrat rhetorical whining is ringing so hollow with the public. The only people accepting this stupid argument are party line kooks and the news media.

Democrats can't spend 8 years bragging about how great it is to be the 'party of No' and then expect everyone to just forget about it. Not 14 months ago it was the act of a patriot to oppose the President & be an obstructionist. Now the Democrats are telling everyone that Republican opposition is 'treason'. What a bunch of fools. No wonder congressional approval is at record lows with such buffoons in charge.

The dem's only objected to 10 of 46 nominations. So they were hardly the party of no. In fact, they got a lot of heat for not resisting Bush/Cheney enough. Recall also the number of dem's who rolled over before the beginning of the Iraq invasion.