Payne: President Hopeless ( The Michigan View 09.09.11)

Posted by hpayne on September 9, 2011

What was shocking about Obama’s speech was not just that it was bad – the Labor Day speech was indeed a harbinger – but how little effort the president made to be bipartisan.

Think about Clinton after the 1994 tsunami election and his tack to the middle. There is no middle for President Alinsky. There is only divisive, partisan, Chicago politics.

It’s all the more unnerving given the obvious opening for a bipartisan solution.

Conservatives have been talking for weeks about the potential for tax reform. Obama would give the GOP lower, simplified tax breaks, The GOP would happily close up corporate loopholes from jets to oil companies in return. Everybody has a win for their base. Everybody gains. Most importantly, the economy gains from a less burdensome, pro-taxpayer tax code.

“There could be some areas where we can agree,” said Michigan’s own Rep. Candice Miller afterwards. ” I would support fundamental, pro-growth tax reform.”

But Obama, according to reports, didn’t even reach a hand towards Republicans. There was no dialogue. Only finger-wagging. The sense of disappointment was palpable in Republicans’ comments afterwards – a party that, after all, just won a landslide election in the fall to make changes.

“I feel like I’ve just been to the principal’s office,” said Rep. Jeff Flake, R-Arizona, ” It was equal parts platitudes and scolding. It was vacuous. You knew what it was, but some of the talk made me scratch my head. Retention of teachers? It was just lines thrown out there for applause from the Left, without any real connection to what we need to do.”

Like the health care “debate,” there is only political war from this president.

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