GOP Promises More Obstruction Even if it Loses

    I admit I found the President's thought that maybe they'd work more with him for the long term interests of the country if he wins a little too optimistic. Now in response they are promising more obstructionism:

    “If Obama wins re-election, the Republican Party will react by moving right, not left,” observes Ramesh Ponnuru, a well-connected conservative writer, in a Bloomberg op-ed Monday. “It will become less likely to compromise with Obama, not more.”

    "Part of the reason, the argument goes, is that an Obama victory would likely coincide with GOP gains in the Senate — possibly even a GOP Senate takeover. That will leave Republicans just as empowered to block action on Obama’s key initiatives — balanced deficit reduction, immigration reform — as they are right now, and able to argue that the voting public gave them just as much of a mandate to govern as they did Obama."

     http://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/2012/09/republicans-scoff-at-white-house-theory-that-obama-victory-will-break-gop-fever.php?ref=fpa

     "Beyond the results of the election itself, the looming expiration of the Bush tax cuts and all of the cuts to domestic and defense spending that are set to kick in early next year put additional pressures on both sides that could force a deal on the budget that includes new revenue in this winter’s lame duck session, or early in Obama’s second term."

    "But even that assumption may be misplaced if the Republican Party sees its long-term interests best protected from lock-step opposition to Obama throughout a second term."

    "The best indicator of where this is headed may be the GOP openly announcing that he can expect no cooperation."

     Look, I put nothing past the GOP. Still it makes no sense to say that Demorats had better lose,, becuase if htey win they're in even deeper trouble.

     And Ramesh makes the rather questionable assumption that if Obama wins there will be a GOP Senate. Obviously, if that were the case then they would have a stronger hand in that sense-though as the President would no longer face re-election he'd have less to lose. However that's not the way things have looked recently.


    The latest signs-Akin, Ben Nelson pulling away in Florida, the RSCC having to send out help in North Dakota-suggests otherwise.     The GOP may well realize that there may be long term benefits may not be in lock step opposition. I don't expect much from them-the best hope is to win back Congress. But this election could show them that they have lost this fight in a way that they couldn't deny. Some individual GOPers may decide to save themselves.

     Even this year you see the GOP being a little less obstructive by working out some kind of spending deal for the last 3 months. If they let the Bush tax cuts expire next year with military cuts it's tough to see how this is a win for them.

     Overall I assume they will still be a problem but it depends on if the Democrats are able to hold onto the Senate and make real gains in the House-or even take it back. The public could get so fed up with them that they will have no power pretty soon.