David Brooks Makes a Great Argument for Obama to Do Executive Action

     This doesn't say much for Brooks as he was trying to make the opposite argument-that this is some terrible prospect that will destroy the world for bipartisan government for years to come. What he seems not to realize  that this milksop that Very Serious People like him call bipartisanship is an illusion that exists nowhere but between his ears. 

      Brooks comes from a point of view that the Holocaust would have been a perfectly justifiable thing-if only both the Democrats and the Republicans agreed on it. 

      " there is an entire class of “centrist” pundits that know nothing and care nothing about actual policy. Their entire analytical skill is “bipartisan=good and partisan=bad,” regardless of which side is being more reasonable or has better ideas."

      http://firedoglake.com/2014/11/18/the-ignorance-of-ron-fournier-and-the-genius-of-mitch-mcconnell/

       You know me-I'm no fan of FDL but what the hey-this here is very well said in describing the 'centrist pundit.' Greg Sargent. regarding Obama's promised-I take it as a promise-executive action on deportations says this:

        "I actually expect the public to tilt more strongly against Obama’s action, if and when he does announce one. It seems likely that, even if majorities tend to support legislative legalization, Americans could react very differently to executive action on immigration."

        "On the other hand, as Drum points out, this probably holds little political risk for Democrats overall, even if executive action does bring about partisan Armageddon. David Brooks is very worried about this prospect. He predicts that Republicans will “rightly take it as a calculated insult,” driving everyone “into warfare mode,” resulting in “two more years of dysfunction that will further arouse public disgust and anti-government fervor.”

     "But as Drum notes, the poll also finds that almost nobody in America — 15 percent, to be exact — even expects Obama and the new GOP Congress to work together to find bipartisan compromise to begin with. In this case, Obama will be acting — belatedly, and after far too much dithering and delay, in the minds of many of his core supporters. As E.J. Dionne puts it:

Yes, Washington may again be engulfed in partisan warfare. But at least this time, it will be over things that are actually happening.

       "I would also reiterate that what probably matters most politically over the long term, particularly heading into 2016, is what overall general impressions of the two parties Latinos end up retaining after this is all over.

       http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/plum-line/wp/2014/11/18/poll-american-public-split-on-whether-to-shred-constitution/

       The last paragraph tells you why this is a no-brainer for the Dems. Obama should just do it as soon as possible and see how much the GOP can overreach. As for those who say he should postpone it, my trouble is, when he wanted to do it in June we heard that he couldn't because of the election-it might hurt Democrats in the election! They sure did well after he did what they asked-now we're hearing he as to at least wait until the GOP funds the government. I'm sure if he listens to them again there will be some reason in January and February why he can't do it. Mr. President: just do it already Sir. 

      As for Brooks, the whole problem is his nightmare narrative of partisan gridlock and dysfunction is already baked in the cake-it's going to happen either way.  To listen to him here, it's hard to believe he's actually witnessed our politics for the last 5 years. 

     The president was in no rush to issue this order through 2014, when it might have been politically risky. He questioned whether he had the constitutional authority to do this through most of his first term, when he said that an executive order of this sort would probably be illegal.

     But now the president is in a rush and is convinced he has authority. I sympathize with what Obama is trying to do substantively, but the process of how it’s being done is ruinous.

     Republicans would rightly take it as a calculated insult and yet more political ineptitude. Everybody would go into warfare mode. We’ll get two more years of dysfunction that will further arouse public disgust and antigovernment fervor (making a Republican presidency more likely).

     This move would also make it much less likely that we’ll have immigration reform anytime soon. White House officials are often misinformed on what Republicans are privately discussing, so they don’t understand that many in the Republican Party are trying to find a way to get immigration reform out of the way. This executive order would destroy their efforts.

     http://www.nytimes.com/2014/11/18/opinion/david-brooks-obama-in-winter.html?_r=0

     There are so many absurdities here, it's hard to know where to start. What 'efforts' is the GOP working on? The House GOP tabled a Senate immigration bill with the most wondrous wine for a David Brooks-bipartisanship-and they have actually decided they don't need to do immigration reform at all anymore. In any case, even if they were why would Obama taking perfectly legal executive action stop them? For more on the legality of his move see here. 

     http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/plum-line/wp/2014/11/18/getting-back-to-basics-in-the-raging-debate-over-deportations/

     The reality is that the GOP has no intention of doing anymore in the next two years than the last two-after all they won this time which means that the public wants only their priorities passed, or so the GOP believes.