Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell told the Post he expects Senator Judd Gregg to receive a "standing ovation" when he walks into the next gathering of the Senate Republican Conference. See, he's a hero to them for rejecting Obama's offer of bipartisanship.
Senator Arlen Specter, one of the three moderate Republicans who voted for the recovery bill, thinks there are a number of other Republicans who are glad the bill is passing -- but "without their fingerprints." Some of them have told him privately that they're proud of him for acting on principle to help save the economy, but they won't follow his lead out of fear of conservative opposition in 2010.
It's enough to give "bipartisan" a bad name, and I think it's time for President Obama to take it off the front burner. He gave up too much to get the three votes (which maybe was necessary to move the bill to consideration in the Senate) -- but he got nothing else and wound up with a package that will do less to stimulate the economy.
The Republican strategy is obvious now: work against it, voted against it, whine that you weren't consulted; then, when the economy gets worse, yell "We told you so! You should have listened to us!!"
I think the American voters are on to them. If so, there will be fewer of them after the 2010 election.
Ralph
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