July 23, 2014 at 2:10 p.m.
Something different is in the air (02/02/2009)
Editorial
It may not be true bipartisanship. And it may be way too early to give the Obama administration's management style a name.
But clearly, something different is at work in Washington these days that hasn't been there the past eight years.
When Republicans in the House complained that Obama's proposed stimulus plan included funds for family planning, the administration's response was, in effect, to agree that whatever the merits of those programs the funding didn't belong in the stimulus plan.
When Republicans in the House complained that the plan included a huge chunk of change to put down new sod on the National Mall in Washington, the administration's response was to remove that project from the proposal.
Neither move nor a charm offensive by the White House was enough to win a single GOP vote for the stimulus plan in the House, but the strategies and tactics being employed by the new president were a dramatic departure from the my-way-or-the-highway approach that dominated the Bush-Cheney era.
So too was the weekend buzz about the possibility of Sen. Judd Gregg joining the Obama administration as Secretary of Commerce. That story was still taking shape at this writing, but it appeared there was a good chance that Gregg, a Republican, would join the Obama cabinet after getting assurances that the governor of New Hampshire, a Democrat, would appoint a Republican to succeed him.
That would maintain the current party split in the Senate, while allowing the president to tap a knowledgeable and pragmatic individual in Judd Gregg.
It would also be refreshing to those of us who have grown weary of the "us vs. them" climate of American politics. Coupled with the earlier efforts to woo House Republicans, it may be an indicator of a new era.
We're not sure what to call it. But it's different. - J.R.[[In-content Ad]]
But clearly, something different is at work in Washington these days that hasn't been there the past eight years.
When Republicans in the House complained that Obama's proposed stimulus plan included funds for family planning, the administration's response was, in effect, to agree that whatever the merits of those programs the funding didn't belong in the stimulus plan.
When Republicans in the House complained that the plan included a huge chunk of change to put down new sod on the National Mall in Washington, the administration's response was to remove that project from the proposal.
Neither move nor a charm offensive by the White House was enough to win a single GOP vote for the stimulus plan in the House, but the strategies and tactics being employed by the new president were a dramatic departure from the my-way-or-the-highway approach that dominated the Bush-Cheney era.
So too was the weekend buzz about the possibility of Sen. Judd Gregg joining the Obama administration as Secretary of Commerce. That story was still taking shape at this writing, but it appeared there was a good chance that Gregg, a Republican, would join the Obama cabinet after getting assurances that the governor of New Hampshire, a Democrat, would appoint a Republican to succeed him.
That would maintain the current party split in the Senate, while allowing the president to tap a knowledgeable and pragmatic individual in Judd Gregg.
It would also be refreshing to those of us who have grown weary of the "us vs. them" climate of American politics. Coupled with the earlier efforts to woo House Republicans, it may be an indicator of a new era.
We're not sure what to call it. But it's different. - J.R.[[In-content Ad]]
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