The Time for Bipartisanship is Over; Do It the Chicago Way!

Many of us believed that President Obama was going to change the way Washington works. Unfortunately, we were dead wrong. During the Democratic primaries, Hillary Clinton was on the money when she said:

One day after President Obama's pointless meeting with Republican leaders, the GOP issued an ultimatum to the Democratic Party. CNN reports that:

"Senate Republicans promised Wednesday to block legislative action on every issue being considered by the lame-duck Congress until the dispute over extending the Bush-era tax cuts is resolved and an extension of current government funding is approved.

All 42 Senate Republicans signed a letter to Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nevada, vowing to prevent a vote on "any legislative item until the Senate has acted to fund the government and we have prevented the tax increase that is currently awaiting all American taxpayers."

"With little time left in this congressional session, legislative scheduling should be focused on these critical priorities. While there are other items that might ultimately be worthy of the Senate's attention, we cannot agree to prioritize any matters above the critical issues of funding the government and preventing a job-killing tax hike," the letter said."

The GOP's primary concern, other than defeating Obama in 2012, is tax breaks for millionaires and billionaires. Just in time for Christmas, they are holding unemployment benefits hostage.   As far as the Republicans are concerned, the unemployed are just expendable pawns in the game of politics.  While the GOP is engaging in these ridiculous shenanigans, American families are suffering.  As reported in Politics 365, the unemployment rate is 9.6 percent.  For African Americans, the unemployment rate was 15.7 percent in October.

Hopefully, the President will not resort to capitulation and triangulation. Such compromise will not stop with extending tax cuts for the rich.  Next, it will be social security, medicaid, etc.  Instead of wasting time meeting with those right wing zealots, Obama should take the gloves off and handle those chumps the Chicago way.