GOP Leadership To Obama: You Never Call, You Never Write…
GOP leaders have a new complaint about President Obama: He’s not reaching out to them nearly as much as he did earlier this year, when he road-tested his pledge of post-partisanship, only to get uniformly rebuffed on his first big legislative initiative.
Here’s GOP Rep. Eric Cantor, giving voice to the new GOP gripe:
GOP leaders complain that the phone calls and White House invitations have slacked off — perhaps because Obama’s early efforts to woo Republicans yielded few votes.
“I think that in the beginning they seemed a lot more willing to go in and engage with us,” said House Minority Whip Eric Cantor.
I asked Cantor spokesperson Joe Pounder if this was the real view of House GOP leaders. He argued that while Obama engaged at the outset — watching the Super Bowl with GOPs, for instance — there were now multiple cases where Republicans had been snubbed.
For instance, Pounder said, the White House has not responded to the House GOP proposal for $375 billion in budgetary savings for the next five years. What’s more, Pounder continued, Obama has met only with Democrats on several recent occasions.
Of course, Democrats respond that Obama’s initial outreach efforts weren’t exactly reciprocated. House Republicans unanimously opposed his stimulus and his budget, and almost all of them opposed the big war spending bill. Many refused to condemn Rush Limbaugh for saying he hopes Obama fails.
On health care, a leading Republican — Senator Chuck Grassley — keeps raising the bar for what will count as “bipartisanship” from Dems. He recently suggested that a health care bill wouldn’t be truly bipartisan unless it didn’t contain any public insurance option, and also suggested it wouldn’t count as bipartisan unless it has lots of GOP support.
Of course, there’s still hope. Maybe if Obama invites Republicans to watch the All Star Game, they’ll drop their opposition to his agenda…
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Update: The DCCC takes a whack: “Rather than be part of bipartisan solutions, Congressional Republicans have been content to sit on the sidelines saying no and whining. Polling shows the American people are tired of the Republican Party of No banking on failure instead of working with President Obama and Congressional Democrats to move our country forward.”
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It is amazing what President Obama has done to that party. I wonder what an independent voter thinks about hearing them whine over President Obama not calling them and saying he treats his own party better than them. Jeebus they are a sorry bunch.
They were just as sorry a bunch when they were the majority. In the House of Representatives it’s been a long time since there were very many grown-ups in the GOP.
Hey GOOPers! You’ve got my phone number. Gimme a call when you’ve got something to say besides, “No!”
Ahh yes. Because Cantor bragging about the big goose egg he left on Obama’s desk in the first couple weeks was such a noble effort by Cantor and House Republicans to accept Obama’s civility.
“wahhh, the President won’t see us or call us, and every time we stand up to him, he laughs at us and makes fun of us, wahh”
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sounds like WATBs to me…
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does anyone know a sane Repub anywhere right now? All of my friends who are righties used to just be “tax-cutting Libertarians” (their phrase, mine would be far-right Republican), now they are “He’s the Anti-Christ, Boycott Gubmint Motors, More Tax Cuts for the Rich” Loonies…there’s got to be sane ones somewhere out there…
Did you ask Cantor’s spokesman if he realizes how utterly stupid their complaints look? I don’t know how you control yourself to not ask straight up how they can explain the utter hypocracy-based politics that Republicans practice.
Oh, BOO HOO!!!!
Good for President Obama. If the Republicans are not willing to have intelligent conversations and willing to engage in some give and take, then, YES, by all means, don’t waste very important time needed to do things like, oh, running the country.
It takes two to tango and the GOP refuses to dance. Now they are crying that Obama made them wallflowers. Just like the murderer who killed his parents and then pleaded for leniancy because he was an orphan.
All the G_”No!!!”_P wants is to sabotage! They only want Obama to fail! All they did was stab Obama in the back during the stimulus debate, while Obama was disciplined in not attacking them. He couldn’t be attacking them at the same time he was courting them. That created the best conditions for their Sabotage to be effective. Suddenly, they were winning the Message battle inside Washington and in the Media, until Obama decided to take his Message on the road. It is those “dream” circumstances that the G.No.P misses. They would love to have those circumstances in effect, so they can tear down any Health Care bill!
I guess our President got friggin tired of the Republicans being racist, bias and the party of NO and just started ignoring the idiots….GOOD RIDDANCE….Let them battle between themselves…They are doing a pretty good job with it now with all the problems they are having. THE PARTY OF NO NEEDS TO BE MOVED ALL TO TEXAS AND THEN SECEDE….
President Obama said he might be skinny, but he is tough. Mr. Obama, Axelrod, Rahm, and Gibbs are laughing their ***@# off in the Oval Office at the Republicans. We sh## on them, we cussed them, we said no everytime, now Obama says F-U. He wont talk to us, return our calls, invite us to parties anymore. boo hoo .
Mr. Cantor should be reminded that he was sent to Congress to work for the American people not to be wooed by the President of the US. Where are the fricking grown ups here? On another note, Norm Coleman should be ashamed of himself for stalling Al Franken from assuming his seat in the Senate and for denying the people from MN from having dual representation in the Senate. The Rethugs are unbelieveable.
He reached out, you said no, he asked for your vote, you said no, your agents called his wife a gorilla, you said NOTHING. He asked for your vote on stimulus, healthcare, energy… you said no. So when you ask for more time with the president, HE TELLS YOU NO and now YOU CRY!!!!! LOLOL
I think Republicans are beginning to implode from the pressure of having to live the LIES and spin the LIES day in and day out. The pure hypocrisy of their faux family values is finally as transparent as their faux patriotism.
*chuckle*
If only the GOP hadn’t wasted their 8-year chance to accomplish something – anything – worth doing.
We all give up on hoping for anything productive or cohesive coming from the PARTY OF NO! Obama is nobody’s fool. We realize that politics before Obama was all a big game – that is OVER! Do not mistake integrity & sportsmanship for weakness – there is a sleeping lion at the helm!
=(
Hey Eric, maybe its your turn to pick up the phone and give a call offering support or modification on a proposal instead of whining.
You know what they are planning on doing, offer something more than a 4 page “outline” if you can even call it that and maybe you will be listened to, until then keep whining and wondering why you keep getting picked last.
Yeah….cuz Obama really needs a budget with no numbers and a health care plan with no costs outlined.
He’d be better off asking a steming pile of poo for help…
Suck it up D0echbags
So now the GOP are the victims and not the agressors. What will they think of next!
Can’t wait till the GOP claims solidarity with the Tamil Tigers as an oppressed minority group
The trouble is that the Republican idea of nonpartisanship involves pretending that the election never happened.
What do they expect?
He tried. They acted like derrieres.
Do they really think he’s going to bend over backwards only to get disrespected and slapped in the fact repeatedly?
Courtesy time is over. Obama was the one extending courtesy. Well, Franken won and will be seated. Obama doesn’t have to be courteous anymore unless he wants to. And the GOP has given him no reason to continue to invite them to the table.
When they want to grow up and play well with others, maybe they’ll be given a second chance. For now, they are the minority party of the obsolete and immaterial. They don’t matter. And no one cares.
Wow! The more things change the more they stay the same. Remember when Newt complained about his seat/being ignored while on Air Force One when Clinton was president?
I keep getting the stranges vibes from Cantor – does anyone else – he comes across almost feminine like he is a cross dresser somewhere. i do not joke here. i think something is weird there.
Cantor should go home and whine to his mother by the way.
These guys are acting like a bunch of spoiled brats. How dumb can they be. They must think the president is glutton for punishment. Yes, he said he wanted bi-partisanship, but that does not mean kissing your rear-ends.
Grow-up people. The man tried to reach out to you and all he got was a swift kick in the teeth. This grandeur of delusion you ascribe to yourselves need to be tossed. What alternative universe Republicans live in is beyond me.
They preach family values, but they are they have no qualms cheating on their spouses. They claim that out of wedlock pregnancy is bad, bad, especially if you come from the projects. But no problem if you are a Governor, who preaches abstinence, while your out-of-wedlock teen daughter becomes pregnant. And to boot, it is A-OK to parade her across the stage at your national convention. Go figure.
These guys seriously need a headcheck. Up is down, down is up in their universe if you ask me.
Well it’s about time! I was wondering when the constant face slaps, butt kicks and knees to the groin would finally get to President Obama and he would start giving the Republicans a taste of their own medicine.
See, they have found out that you get the “Kumbaya” Obama for only so long and then you get NOTHING!
If you are not a yes man/women Obama does not want to listen. Shame on you Obama
I continue to be impressed by our new President. He shows great instincts in marginalizing dictators abroad, while nimbly passing important legislation at home. There WILL be a health care reform package passed this year, even if it requires Joe Biden to cast the tie-breaker in the Senate. My only regret is that the energy bill can’t be passed by reconciliation.
Murray
That the best you got little troll. Your as much a pitiful ********* as Cantor putz.
Wha Wha Wha. Poor little Murray and his hero’s got the panties all twisted up.
Funny how cantor is crying today, just when the Minn SC gave the election to Al Franken and Coleman conceded. Now they have to work with Obama or become even more irrelavent than they are now. Can anyone respect that party anymore. There used to be repubs that you could disagree with, but respect their positions. Nothing there now.
It doesn’t matter what Obama does, he could hold a slumber party for all the GOP legislators and their mistresses at Camp David, and they’d still complain about him.
Clearly the GOP has decided that turning Obama into some sort of evil figurehead is their best chance for winning the next round of House and Senate elections. I guess their reasoning is it worked in the Clinton years, and the GOP is nothing if unoriginal.
I believe they have seen the futility of their ways: Bomb, bomb, bomb Iran; *****, *****, ***** about OBAMA, don’t cry for me now Repubs ARE crying in their spilt milk. Style and a classy Administration trumps a raggedy, bullying crowd anyday. Now they are trying to tuck their shirts back in their pants. HA! The show continues folks.
When the republicans actually want to act like adults and do their jobs of representing their constituents instead of their party, maybe Obama will take them seriously again. At this point, the republicans aren’t worth the effort. They made their beds, now they can lie in them.
say it with me america….DEATH TO THE GOP!
The republicans have no policies, in fact never did have any that favored the masses. They only have the rich, business classes who want nothing more than to have a government that looks the other way while they manipulate markets, ruin consumer protections, try to squander any attempt at health care reform for the benefit of the rich; those in insurance industry, pharmaceuticals and medical fields that are happy the way things are now. No wonder Barack looks the other way. He realizes how much needs to be fixed and it requires those who are serious and not beholden to the groups above in order to get it done. Because a lot of people that used to be in the middle class now realize that their lot is casted with the rest of society and not the rich, we now have a focus on the things that matter for the masses. The republicans party which represents those opposed to this new ‘enlighten group’ will not go away. They have the money and the cunning to continue. We must remain vigilant. Otherwise they will find something to distract our attention.
I don’t agree with the accusation. However, if this is how they feel, why not stop, how many times you have to be beaten down, before you start fighting back. President Obama has reached out to them on several occasions, and each time they have put up a blockade against his policies and bills.Too bad for them. However, one thing is evident, these republicans sure can whine like baby and more so, when it appears that things are not going there way.
The Republicans want to be the “belle of the ball”, all the while constantly showing up with no ideas and dressed in rags. Me thinks the children are whining way too much. Nobody likes “whiners.” They have become nothing but a bunch of “wailing Wanda’s” and “whining Willies.” It is sad, but nonetheless true.
I don’t agree with the accusation. However, if this is how they feel, why not stop, how many times you have to be beaten down, before you start fighting back. President Obama has reached out to them on several occasions, and each time they have put up a blockade against his policies and bills.Too bad for them. However, one thing is evident, these republicans sure can whine like baby and more so, when it appears that things are not going their way.
“I think that in the beginning they seemed a lot more willing to go in and engage with us,”
That’s because Obama hadn’t fully measured what partisan traitorous asses you are.
Murray: “If you are not a yes man/women Obama does not want to listen.”
As always, Republicans simply lie.
With a handfull of exceptions, and only a handfull, the loony toon fringe of the Republican Party seems to be one in the same with most of the loudest voices and most of the Congressional leadership of the Party.
The Congressional Republicans don’t want to govern, they don’t want to contribute, they don’t want to compromise. The Republican fringe just want power back like the good old days when Jack Abramoff treated you like you were entitled to do anything they wanted, and you could give away favors to those who “played ball”.
This is not the Republican Party of Lincoln, Roosevelt, Eisehower, or even Reagan, it is now almost entirely the party of Rush Limbaugh, Joe (not) the Plumber, and leadership losers like Boehner and McConnell in Congress.
Folks we haven’t seen nothing yet……wait until 2010 the GOP will become the gop…….
I was just commenting to a friend about how goofy the KKKonservanazi republiKKKans are getting. When they have reached the height of stupidity, this comes up.
If you continue to insult someone and they start to ignore you, one would think “what have I done wrong”?
Well, KKKonservanazis, you offer NOTHING but “NO” and insults. Your party leaders are lying hate mongers. Who in thier right mind would want to talk to you.
Go cheney yourself. Stick a bu$h up your rumsfeld and twist it.
GOP are a sorry bunch of whiners and still the party of NO!
Mr. Cantor, you cannot have it both ways. You can’t slap his hand away, and expect him to keep that same hand out eventually it will become a fist and it will smack you. If you want him to call you back you have to play nice. Be a good girl and maybe you’ll get a call back.
If all the Republics wanna talk about is tax breaks for the upper classes…Obama needs to keep hitting the “Ignore” button.
Isn’t Cantnor the one who went to a Briney Spears concert instead of the President’s Press Conference?
Well, gee…. perhaps if you all weren’t looking for love in the all the wrong places he MIGHT be able to find you. You really can’t expect him to respond to you when you keep saying the same nonsensicle things over and over. Anyway, don’t you all have some praying to do?
For eight years, Bush, Cheney and the GOP ran roughshod over the Democrats and the American People, basically telling anyone who didn’t agree with them or they didn’t like to “f*ck off.”
Why should President Obama, or anyone else for that matter, give the GOP the time of day?
The GOP leadership and majority of Republican office holders rebuffed President Obama’s early attempts to forge a partnership. They did not vote for a damn thing, even when the legislation got loaded with GOP amendments. As a former Republican, I say don’t call them. They can call on Obama. They are totally discredited as a party that has responsible leadership that the President can deal with. The best thing that can happen is that Cantor, Boehner, McConnell, Alexander, and the others see the loss of more of their seats in the next election. Nothing but stripping the GOP of complete power is going to wake them up, let alone cause reforms that are needed in the GOP.
Not all Republican are like this. A lot of them voted for Obama to. So it’s time we stop the name calling and simply ask All politicians to work together and do their jobs they were sent to washington to do, and thats cooperate with each other. Not act like babys in a cradle all the time, and cry over spilled milk when they can’t get their way. Remember, their are a lot of Demacrates who are bucking their own president, and complaining to.
I haven’t heard this kind of talk since I overheard a bunch of Jr High students. After bragging about treating another student like **** they found out about his musical talents and then they were tripping all over themselves to be NICE! Just how lame can you be? Any adults in that caucus? Any humans? Any morals? Doesn’t look like it. Just those poor, poor victims. Oh, that’s so, so sad.
Mr Cantor. Your party ruled with an iron fist ( Tom Delay ) for 20 long years. with Reagan – Bush Sr & W . The GOP had their turn – they blew it- big time. Now it’s OUR time -as in middle class folks. Voters said d for change we can believe in. In his 6 months- Obama has run rings around Bush / Cheney . While 20 years of GOP policy led us down the path of disaster and a world wide meltdown. The far right GOP owes America an apology !
As far as I can see, the GOP has contributed next to nothing to any bipartisanship during one of the worst times in our country’s history. You all were too busy preening and obstructing, not putting our dear country first.
Now you dare to complain because Obama isn’t calling you much any more. That, my friend is a logical consequence of the GOP’s behavior. You blew your chance to make history and help pull this country out of the mess your party partially left our country in. Perhaps you would like to partner in one of his other projects that the citizens overwhelmingly want. Step forward……….
Mr. Cantor are you for real? The president tried everything to include you in the conversation. Now you are getting upset because he is merely responding to your lack of interest. Have you forgotten so quickly? “Yall” said NO, NO, goose egg etc. Remember?
So stop whining. Don’t you have no shame? Did not your parent raise you better than that? If I was the president I, would forget all about the children playing congressmen.
It has been a very long time now since the GOP in the House of Representatives had any sense of shame at all.
That’s what you get for being insincere…
Anybody remember Obama cooly, calmly telling the repubs that himself?
You can almost see their game plan before they even get started. First they complain about how Obama is not being bipartinsian. Then they compare him to Bush and we know what an insult that is and then finally, they suggest Obama only listens to people who agree with him.
What morons. How anyone can take this party seriously is beyond me.
Cantor is following the cycle of a domestic abuser. After aggressive torment breaks, he wants to get close and love-y dove-y. Has affection and aggression all mixed up.
Wait a minute Cantor, I remember you chose to go to see Britney Spears in concert rather than meet to discuss passing the stimulus bill, and now you are complaining about ***** slapped by the White house.Puhleeeze………..
Wait a minute Cantor, I remember you chose to go to see Britney Spears in concert rather than meet to discuss passing the stimulus bill, and now you are complaining about being ***** slapped by the White house.Puhleeeze………..
GOP stands for “Goofy Old Party”
He reached out, no support and no aknowledgment of his efforts. Now it seems they are ready for bipartisanship if they can have it there way (no public option.) That looks to me like the same old Republican “bipartisanship” as we have had for the past forty years. They know were he is. They know where he stands. If they have something constructive let them take the initiative.
Doesn’t “No” mean No? How many times can President Obama ask and be turned down cold, before he looks like a stalker for continuing to call? These guys don’t want to dance; they just want to make a show of turning up their noses.
It might be of interest that Chuck Grassley receives his major political bribes from the medical insurance and pharmaceutical industry. His major supporter in Iowa covers 71% of the medical insurance in that state, no wonder they don’t want to compete on a level playing field; no wonder Senator Grassley is serving as their lackey. They keep him in office and he guarantees their egregious profits at taxpayer’s expense. In the Senate, they call that democracy; everywhere else it is corruption.
eeeeeew, reaching out to Republicans. Who wants to get slimed repeatedly?
The Repubs don’t want to get along. They want to be incharge. The can’t over losing the election either. They played America and they know it. We all know they are for the RICH!!!!!!!and Business. They will make all of us poor and laugh about it. That’s what they were doing and the TIME ran out before they could complete the splicing of AMERICA. Thank GOD the time ran out and The Lord showed up and pull the covers off the REPUBS!!!!!
The Republicans keep bringing their “dirty and outdated Laundry list” to the table, Obama says: Clean it up and give me something NEW; but they insist on bringing the “old” stuff up. Obama says: HEY! Listen, I said NEW stuff! NOT last year’s worn out stuff. Get Real will ya’. Then they pout and whine that Obama rejects their “old” stuff. And says he’s not playing fair…..Well, the new sherrif in town says: I’ts my ball now, you can play but I’m the umpire, kappish?
TEX | “Go cheney yourself. Stick a bu$h up your rumsfeld and twist it.
” Tex, I’m still laughing at that quote! Go get ‘em!
I’m not really sure why the GOP is all up in arms over not being included. Obama gives them lots of tax cuts in the stimulus, but because he did he ended up with no bargaining power and a knife in his back while the cry about dems not being bipartisanship.
Am i the only one that remembers that the gop had control of congress and the presidency for years?They keep on whining like there has never been a party that could pass bills at will.Medigap plan D? Bankruptcy Bill? Bush tax cuts? The bush tax cuts were passed by exactly what the GOP is whining about how dems might pass a filibuster to pass health care the SAME EXACT WAY AS BUSH TAX CUTS WERE PASSED.
Im an independent. I currently support Obama.I understand both partys have their flaws.
I just cant sit here and listen to a party whine about Deficit spending and not having enough money for health care for all when they pretty much racked up what will be 10 trillion dollars(would have been zero debt in the year 2009 had bush and gop not destroyed the budget) in debt and 2 wars. Think about that for a minute.
Obama needs to stop being nice because they are taking advantage of it knowing hes going to try and be bipartisanship. Saying no to everything unless you get what you want isn’t bipartisanship. Obama in my opinion has held up his campaign promise of trying to work with the other side. I think the gop is trying to take that and run with it so they have something to hide behind every time they say no.
I think a huge mistake with health care was leaving out the single payer. Like another author said it leaves the public option looking like the extreme options in the health care reform. WE ARE ALREADY COMPROMISING WITH A PUBLIC OPTION. Letting the GOP try to convince the rest of us that they are being left out because we wont compromise is just BS.
Let it be known. Republicans and even democrats. You will be voted out if you vote for a coop or trigger bill. You wont be able to hide behind these as trying to be bipartisanship.
The American public are not morons.We see it for what it is a copout so you can hide the fact of being bought off by the health industry.
Lets not forget they are nitpicking and trying to pin the economy issues on Obama. For saying jobless rate wont go higher then 9% or whatever.Did they forget that they caused this mess? Or maybe just maybe that rate might be 12% or 15% had we not done anything?
Dont let the gop frame the economy issue in their favor. Asking Americans to give them a chance when they had 8 years after only 6 months of not having control is ludicrous.
Check this page out.http://www.boston.com/news/nation/washington/articles/2005/05/01/gop_gives_more_power_to_federal_government/
Its LITERALLY everything the GOP now complains about, but they did it themselves. Jamming bills threw.Adding amendments that have nothing to do with a bill.
How can we believe a part that says they stand for small government, state rights and being fiscally responsible but do the exact opposite?
I just don’t think we should have any politicians in office that take the will of industry over its own citizens.The health industry and drug makers and auto industry and Banks and Big oil. Anyone wonder why all 5 of these industry’s are top dogs with profits in this country? How can we bail all these people out and not our own people with health care?
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