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You Know The Type, Loud As A Motorbike

• Democrats • Obama Administration

But couldn’t bust a grape in a fruit fight:

President Obama listened to Republican gripes about his stimulus package during a meeting with congressional leaders Friday morning - but he also left no doubt about who’s in charge of these negotiations. “I won,” Obama noted matter-of-factly, according to sources familiar with the conversation.

The exchange arose as top House and Senate Republicans expressed concern to the president about the amount of spending in the package.

I’ve always had the opinion that the Obama version of bipartisanship is going to be working to bring his opposition around to his viewpoint, and making whatever concessions are necessary to get the core of what he wants. Republicans are always going to complain about Democratic proposals, and they’re always going to pull anything as far to the right as they can get - it was always the conceptual problem with Liebermanesque centrism. The Republican Party doesn’t want moderate proposals from the Democratic Party, they want conservative proposals from their own party. There’s no profit in persisting in the fantasy that the GOP somehow operates as a benevolent and wholly irrational set of political actors who will leap onto Democratic-branded ideas out of the goodness of their hearts. They’re in politics to win, which is sort of the point of this whole process. You get elected to achieve what you think is best for the country, not to get pushed around and branded traitors because you do everything but tattoo the RNC’s platform on your face.

Granted, the current Democratic leadership still involves Harry Reid, who’s like the late-90s version of Patrick Ewing hobbling down the court after a team that’s going to lose the big game no matter how well it plays, but this is still heartening.

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Posted by Jesse Taylor on 08:55 PM • (13) Comments

I think you’re being unfair to Patrick Ewing. After all, he didn’t intentionally allow opposing players to drive down the lane, giving them a “the bucket’s yours” signal and smiling as they passed him.

When Reid had his little “I don’t work for Obama” moment earlier this year, all I could think was: “Of course not. You work for McConnel.”

Comment #1: MAJeff, the God of Biscuits on 01/23 at 09:59 PM

At least Nancy Pelosi seems to be getting back to her old self. I still remember how good she was during the Social Security debacle.

Comment #2: Mnemosyne on 01/23 at 10:25 PM

President Obama listened to Republican gripes about his stimulus package during a meeting with congressional leaders Friday morning - but he also left no doubt about who’s in charge of these negotiations. “I won,” Obama noted matter-of-factly, according to sources familiar with the conversation.

That’s because President Obama is way more gangsta than the Republicans ever expected.

Comment #3: Incertus, Nacho Daddy on 01/23 at 10:47 PM

I’m sorry but the Repubs have been partying like burning money was going out of style for the last 8 years. They don’t suddenly get to decide they’re the party of fiscal conservativism just because they’ve lost.

Wanquers.

Comment #4: Mighty Ponygirl on 01/23 at 11:11 PM

“I won,” Obama noted matter-of-factly, according to sources familiar with the conversation.

Ahahahahaha.

Comment #5: annejumps on 01/23 at 11:38 PM

can i just say, thus far in the administration, i fucking love my president.

Comment #6: jessilikewhoa on 01/24 at 03:45 AM

We have a similar situation in Canada—the “big government” people are full of crap but they still use lies in this vein to convince the ignorant. The “conservatives” increase the size of government, increase the deficit, and end up spending more every time they are in power. And then they bitch about how (all) the other party(ies) are going to increase spending (although we only have one other party that’s ever been in power, but they never outspend these douchebags). Real fiscal conservatives just do not seem to exist here or there. It’s fake ideological bullshit and smokescreens. They talk a big game but in the end it’s only about trying to increase their own influence.

PS I’m sorry I often bring up Canada, but it’s what I know.

Comment #7: RacyT on 01/24 at 05:02 AM

Also, I always thought Harry Reid at least had the guts to speak out, even if what he said pissed people off. The left needs to assert itself, because we always seem to be polite and accomodating, and it sometimes makes undecided people take us less seriously in the face of those loud, yelling, overbearing assholes.

Comment #8: RacyT on 01/24 at 05:07 AM

“I won,” Obama noted matter-of-factly

I have continually been impressed with how good this man is at his calling. Watching Obama be a politician is like watching a skilled craftsman at their job—he’s obviously got the talent. He is actually pretty damn good at getting his way. Which, on the issues he’s right about, is really good for his country.

Comment #9: Nenya on 01/24 at 06:42 AM

Definitely not unfair to Ewing, or to Reid, but unfair to the Democrats. They DID just win one of the great blowout elections in American history.

I’d say he’s more like the 2006 Heat Shaq, only if instead of the most dominant player of his generation Shaq was instead an overrated, confused wimp.

Comment #10: Ape Man on 01/24 at 09:54 AM

“I won,” Obama noted matter-of-factly

That made me giggle like a little girl.

I’ve been watching a fair amount of FauxNews coverage (only to see what the enemy is up to and a I have a particularly strong constitution). I have yet to hear one of their commentators refer to Obama as “President” Obama. It is always “Mister” Obama. Pretty shameful, but unsurprising. Faux is pretty much news for the uninspired, unquestioning and unintelligent.

Comment #11: kac90b on 01/24 at 11:57 AM

Jesse, your vision of Obama bipartisanship reminds me of the “Johnson Treatment.” That had never occurred to me before, but I like that thought.