This seems to be Barry's latest mantra. Of course, this call for bipartisanship didn't seem to come until WELL AFTER he tried to ram a bunch of shit down everybody's throats. Now suddenly, we're all supposed to be bipartisan.
Reality: You reap what you sow.
In surprise appearance, president slams 'grandstanding,' urges cooperation
WASHINGTON - Appealing for bipartisanship in a town where it's hard to find, President Barack Obama sat down with Democrats and Republicans Tuesday to spur cooperation on job creation, deficit reduction and health care overhaul. He promised to do his part — but warned he would take Republicans to task if they don't do the same.
"The people who sent us here expect a seriousness of purpose that transcends petty politics," Obama said after the meeting, as he made a surprise appearance in the White House briefing room.
Obama's appeal was his latest effort to reach out to Republicans following GOP Sen. Scott Brown's surprise election last month to replace the late Democratic Sen. Edward Kennedy in Massachusetts. Brown's win deprived Democrats of the votes they need to keep the Republican minority in the Senate from blocking Obama's legislative agenda, including his plan to overhaul the nation's health care system.
Obama started his remarks to reporters by engaging in a bit of wishful thinking: joking about Senate Democratic leader Harry Reid and Republican leader Mitch McConnell "out doing snow angels together on the South Lawn" after the meeting.
But the friendly rhetoric quickly gave way to tougher talk.
"We can't afford grandstanding at the expense of actually getting something done," Obama said. "What I won't consider is doing nothing."
McConnell told reporters that "there are some areas of potential agreement" on a jobs package.
He cited Republicans' and Obama's shared interests in nuclear power, clean coal technology, offshore drilling and the completion of languishing trade deals. He cautioned, though, that most of the members of his Republican caucus hadn't yet seen the Democrats' planned jobs legislation.
Obama, too, ticked off several areas where he said cooperation should be easy. But, like McConnell, most of the ideas on which he called for bipartisanship were ones he favors. In Obama's case, that means job creation (money for infrastructure repairs, small business tax cuts and lending, and tax breaks for energy efficiency improvements), health care (extending coverage and making it more affordable) or deficit cutting (a bipartisan commission).
"I won't hesitate to embrace a good idea from my friends in the minority party, but I also won't hesitate to condemn ... what I consider to be obstinacy," Obama said.
Full Story:
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/35313149/ns/politics-white_house/
