On One-Way Relationships

Back to business as usual, I suppose.

After numerous steps taken by President Obama and the Democrats toward the middle, to say nothing of impressive concessions, not a single House Republican voted in favor of the economic stimulus package. Furthermore, eleven Democrats joined Republican ranks in working against the bill.

It's not that I expect Democrats to just fall in line, simply due to party allegiance. It's not that I expect Republicans to give away legislation either. But given the considerable concessions that Obama made - particularly on family planning financing for low-income families - it's either incredibly disrespectful or incredibly shrewd on behalf of the Republicans. Or both. Disrespectful that not a single Republican can meet Obama somewhere in the middle on a bill that is already one-third composed of tax cuts, and shrewd that they still managed to get hardline party matters of limiting sexual autonomy removed from a bill that would pass even without their support. Hopefully the Senate won't cave so easily to unreciprocated bipartisanship.

Obama ended the global gag rule in our foreign policy. If only we could end it in our own country.