Calibrated Method May Be Behind Obama’s Not-Yet-Successful Outreach to Republicans
By Adriel Bettelheim,
CQ Staff
President Obama came to town pledging to douse petty squabbles and inaugurate a new era of bipartisanship. But after his first round of talks with congressional Republicans on the economic stimulus plan, some might ask if he’s showing too much love.
The new president has gone to great lengths to court the GOP by making an in-person appeal to the House Republican caucus on Capitol Hill, inviting Republican leaders to a White House cocktail reception and even hosting some lawmakers at a bipartisan Super Bowl party.
So far, the outreach hasn’t delivered a single vote.
House Republicans unanimously opposed the stimulus plan (HR 1) in a Jan. 28 vote, just before before Obama served drinks and hors d’oeuvres to a group that included six House Republicans and five GOP senators.
Republican senators appear similarly unenthused as their chamber gets set to debate and vote on the package this week; Senate Minority Whip Jon Kyl , R-Ariz., without explicitly threatening to block the package, said somewhat ominously that his caucus is exploring “whatever parliamentary opportunities are available to us.”
Though Obama’s entreaties help reinforce his image as authentic and honest, experts say he will ultimately be judged on results. And if his efforts to foster more civility and unity don’t bear fruit on the stimulus plan — which both parties, irrespective of their differences, understand they must pass to respond to the financial crisis — Obama can expect much more serious pushback selling a housing bill, another huge financial bailout package and other economic relief measures his administration is studying.
(More here.)
CQ Staff
President Obama came to town pledging to douse petty squabbles and inaugurate a new era of bipartisanship. But after his first round of talks with congressional Republicans on the economic stimulus plan, some might ask if he’s showing too much love.
The new president has gone to great lengths to court the GOP by making an in-person appeal to the House Republican caucus on Capitol Hill, inviting Republican leaders to a White House cocktail reception and even hosting some lawmakers at a bipartisan Super Bowl party.
So far, the outreach hasn’t delivered a single vote.
House Republicans unanimously opposed the stimulus plan (HR 1) in a Jan. 28 vote, just before before Obama served drinks and hors d’oeuvres to a group that included six House Republicans and five GOP senators.
Republican senators appear similarly unenthused as their chamber gets set to debate and vote on the package this week; Senate Minority Whip Jon Kyl , R-Ariz., without explicitly threatening to block the package, said somewhat ominously that his caucus is exploring “whatever parliamentary opportunities are available to us.”
Though Obama’s entreaties help reinforce his image as authentic and honest, experts say he will ultimately be judged on results. And if his efforts to foster more civility and unity don’t bear fruit on the stimulus plan — which both parties, irrespective of their differences, understand they must pass to respond to the financial crisis — Obama can expect much more serious pushback selling a housing bill, another huge financial bailout package and other economic relief measures his administration is studying.
(More here.)
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