Breaking old habits

Obama and the GOP: No Sudden Moves

By Rick Horowitz

Think of it as a rehab program for abused pets.

You've seen those shows on Animal Planet, haven't you? Where they bring in some snarling mongrel with its fangs bared and its claws at the ready, some poor excuse for a canine whose entire life has been an absolute horror show of mistreatment (or worse), and little by little they teach him how to trust again, and wag his tail again, and stop pooping on the carpet?

Welcome to Congressional Planet. And say hello to the new trainer: Barack Obama.

You think fixing the economy is hard? Try getting House Republicans to get along with House Democrats.

But that's exactly what Barack Obama is doing. Trying.

Succeeding? That's another matter. But it's still early. You can't expect him to overcome years of utter wretchedness in just a week or two, can you? Of course not -- these things take time. But he's on the job.

He calls them on the phone.

He has them in for meetings.

He visits them on their turf.

He spends hours listening to their complaints about legislation, and then he sees to it that the legislation is revised to accommodate some of the complaints.

(My favorite moment? The GOP congressman who emerged from one of those sessions to report that he and his fellow Republicans had griped to Mr. Obama about how badly the House Democratic leadership has been treating them, and that Mr. Obama hadn't said anything in response, and how that means that Mr. Obama really agrees with the gripers -- "I told Daddy about what you did, and he's on my side!")

He even has them over for cocktails.

Can you imagine? The entire House Republican membership -- despite the phone calls and the meetings and the visits and the hours of listening and the legislative revisions -- all 177 House Republicans still voted against the economic stimulus package on Wednesday afternoon, and on Wednesday evening Barack Obama still had their leaders up to the White House for cocktails. Along with their good friends, the Democratic leaders.

(Well, maybe their not-so-good friends.)

Where's the punishment? Where's the explosion? Isn't this Washington, home office of the Instantly Offended?

What's going on here?

For one thing, smart politics. The new president talked during the campaign about striking a new tone; here's an early opportunity to prove that he wasn't just blowing smoke. He'll also get points simply for trying; the one who extends a hand generally looks better than the one who spurns it.

"In this corner, Charming. In this corner, Churlish." Guess who wins? And guess whose base looks...more base all the time?

Besides, he knows that those House Republicans will have another chance to vote on the stimulus bill later in the process, and he's not about to burn his bridges now.

So far, he's even avoided going all in for his fellow Democrats and their handiwork. He hasn't said the stimulus bill has to be passed exactly as Nancy Pelosi and friends drafted it. He hasn't defended every provision as essential, or opposed every suggestion from the other side of the aisle.

And he's made it clear he's willing to see even more changes, from Democrats and Republicans, as the bill works its way through the Senate. He says he expects the changes will "continue to strengthen" the package before it gets to his desk.

What kind of attitude is that for a chief executive?

The attitude of someone who's thinking long-term.

Who's looking at the big picture.

Who's tired of all the poop.

Posted 2/1/09. For award-winning commentary, click to "Rick's"!

Rick Horowitz is a syndicated columnist, TV commentator, writing coach and public speaker.

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