Originally Posted By wahooskipper Well, I think it is a valid point. Everyone is throwing around the term "obstruction" but that is like my high school football team trying to block the offense of USC. The bottom line is that the REAL obstructionists will be inside the Democrat party. His own folks will make or break this.
Originally Posted By SingleParkPassholder There are many ways to be an obstructionist and you guys both know it. See the topic of this thread, for one. Joe Wilson yelling "you lie!" certainly qualifies, especially when you consider the irony. The GOP has been doing all sorts of lying about health care. Please see "death panels", for starters.
Originally Posted By wahooskipper If health care doesn't get done it won't be because of Republicans. If there isn't a public option, it won't be because of Republicans. There are Republicans who have shows a willingness to work with the other side.
Originally Posted By Mr X ***If health care doesn't get done it won't be because of Republicans. If there isn't a public option, it won't be because of Republicans.*** As Passholder already mentioned, they can obstruct by telling lies and stirring up voter sentiment against the Democrats' plans, sad to say (sad because it wouldn't matter if the Dems cared more about their work than keeping their jobs). ***There are Republicans who have shows a willingness to work with the other side.*** Dude, I'm sorry but you're on another planet if you still believe this. Did you WATCH the joint session speech? I think the Republicans have made their group sentiment loud and clear and have since the inauguration (or a scant few days later, after the niceties were said and done), and that is SCREW OBAMA and anything and everything he tries to do, by any means necessary.
Originally Posted By wahooskipper There were about a dozen congressmen who held up signs plus the idiot "you lie" member. So, thirteen, let's make it 20 or so vocally out-of-line folks. Now, I know the Republicans are in the minority but there were more than 20 of them in the chambers. Sure, the Republicans can stir up crap (and some of them have) but the Democrats have the power to make that "stirring up" meaningless.
Originally Posted By Mr X I know they do, but they're too spineless to do it. It's pretty annoying, really. And I think it'll cost them in 2010.
Originally Posted By ecdc The main place they can be obstructionist is in the Senate. The House will pass a bill pretty easily. The senate, with the death of Ted Kennedy, only has 59 votes - not enough to stop a filibuster. And of course, if they use the options to get around that, then Republicans will scream and yell that they aren't being bipartisan, that they're using the rules unfairly, etc. And just because the obstruction doesn't work doesn't mean Republicans aren't being obstructionist. They haven't shown one iota of interest in healthcare reform since they last killed it. It's very clear that they only want to defeat Obama, not do what's best for the American people. We have statements of party members and party leaders to back us up. OTOH, there is something to this. I'm pretty well sick of the Democrats spinelessness. It's time for Democrats to be as big of jerks, a-holes, and douchebags as the Republicans. It's really quite easy, Democrats: Raise your right arm out in front of you; turn your hand so that your palm is facing you; make a fist; extend your middle finger; smile with a satisfied smile knowing that you did the right thing in spite of these people who are more interested in protecting big business than Americans dying from lack of care.
