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LIGHTNING ROUND: THE EMPTINESS OF BIPARTISANSHIP.
- Well, it was a fun five months, but the new conventional wisdom seems to be that the honeymoon ended for Barack Obama today, June 18, 2009, based upon a lukewarm response to the president's handling of two issues in a couple new polls. Thing is, though, those two issues -- the deficit and the auto bailouts -- were clearly associated with the previous administration. The public clearly sees Obama inheriting these problems. And they really don't like the GOP. Not to mention they're quite confused on whether the economy and job creation are more important than deficit reduction. Doesn't sound like all that much has changed, actually.
- Health-care reform seems to have become a whole lot less likely in the past few days. First, the CBO scored the Finance Committee's plan about $600 billion higher than anticipated, leading Chariman Max Baucus to look for $600 billion in cuts. Then, Tom Daschle and a bipartisan group of former politicians concluded that the public option should be considered negotiable in getting the plan passed. Hey, it doesn't matter that the public supports a public plan (opinion only matters when we're talking deficits) -- those costs have to come down. We've got F-22s to buy, after all.
- Gary Sick asks whether this is another Iranian revolution and indeed, it looks like whatever regime emerges from a week's worth of protests is going to look different from the Iran of last Friday. To understand who the main players involved are, this slideshow is a good place to start.
- After the Bush years, I'm certainly not in any hurry to see any more recess appointments made in order to dodge Congress. But the administration's blanket refusal to use the process for confirming Harold Koh and Dawn Johnsen means the GOP can continue using the U.S. Senate as a blunt instrument to bring the business of government to a halt.
- Remainders: Is Obama better than Netanyahu on settlements?; it's been a while since we've heard something about the vast conspiracy to reinstate the Fairness Doctrine; The Washington Post loses a valuable voice; and the Jindal '12 PAC halts as quickly as it began.
--Mori Dinauer
COMMENTS (2)
On Obama's handling of the economy, he inherited a Yogi Berra moment for economic policy: "When you come to a fork in the road, take it." What the faltering, high-maintenance markets needed was decisive action last winter. They got it, and it averted a larger calamity. Did not solve our myriad of problems, but any public uneasiness results from continued problems. It is hard to get political credit for avoiding the bad thing that never happened.
Posted by: Michael A. Shea | June 18, 2009 6:39 PM
The Bush/Obama economic, political, social, existential trainwreck continues to unfold. The famously unread "stimulus" bill has so far done next to nothing to "save or create jobs." Both administrations have been fixated on on doling out buckets of cash no questions asked to the gangsters who have destroyed our economy and threatened the world. The new regime is also still waging the same old wars too in case you haven't noticed.
Will it all end with a bang or a whimper? Who knows. But it will end. Definitely it will end.
Posted by: Feng | June 18, 2009 7:36 PM