White House To Roll Over For Republicans

President Obama promised Americans there would be changes if he was elected.   But the president has a fatal flaw that has prevented him from delivering on that promise -- he's a compromiser who believes in bipartisan government.   In another time that might not be a bad thing.   But bipartisanship requires two sides who are willing to compromise, and that just does not exist in Washington these days.

The president tried time and time again to reach across the aisle and just got his hand bitten.   The Republicans decided early on in his administration that they would not allow the president to accomplish his goals, and they would certainly not compromise -- not even an inch.   This Republican intransigence, coupled with repeated efforts to compromise by Obama and the Democrats, has resulted in the Republicans getting pretty much whatever they wanted.

They opposed real health care reform, so the Democrats gave in and just put a bandaid on the current system -- leaving the private insurance companies to control health care in America and make the medical decisions that should be made by doctors.   The Republicans didn't want the greed of their Wall Street buddies to be curtailed, so the Democrats gave in and passed the weakest financial regulations possible -- leaving the American people at the mercy of the Wall Street tycoons.

The Republicans didn't want an adequate job stimulus package, so the Democrats gave in and passed only a token package with far too many tax cuts and too few job programs to really be effective.   Bills that would have stopped job outsourcing and assured women equal pay were also derailed, because too many Democrats gave in and voted with Republicans.

The Democrats had a substantial majority in both Houses of Congress, but repeated efforts to compromise (especially by the White House) and an inability to play political hardball, gave the Republicans most of what they wanted and gave Americans very little change.   I know the Republicans are crying like they lost everything, but that's just politics.   They couldn't win an election by admitting their policies created the recession and the Democrats giving in to their policies has let it continue to fester.

Now the Republicans have regained control of the House of Representatives, and they have let it be known they intend to continue their failed policy of giving more to the rich while giving ordinary Americans nothing but platitudes (and cuts to programs that help Main Street).

What we need more than ever is for the Democratic Senate and White House to stand firm and not allow the disastrous Republican policies to continue.   Sadly, that is not what's going to happen.   President Obama has learned nothing from his failures of the last two years.   Yesterday, he announced that he will try harder to compromise with the Republicans.

A senior administration official has said that the president will do a better job of bipartisan outreach in the next two years.   He said,   "The president said he had to do better, and the president is ready to do his part."   That's just plain stupid, since the Republicans have made it clear they are not interested in bipartisanship or compromise -- it's their way or the highway.

With the president unwilling to stand up to the right-wing Republicans (and the weak-willed Harry Reid incapable of it), it looks like the Republicans are going to control Washington for the next two years and continue their disastrous economic policies.   Then when the economy is even worse two years from now, they will blame it on Obama and the Democrats.

Frankly, I'm getting disgusted with spineless Democrats.   If something doesn't change I don't know if I can support them in 2012.   If they are going to let the Republicans run things, then maybe the Republicans should be in total charge.   Then they'll have to take the blame when the economy gets even worse and their policies are exposed for the true failures they are.   Maybe then, in 2014 and 2016, we can get some real progressives elected and fix some of this country's economic problems.