The Republicans need to understand what bipartisanship means in the Age of Obama.

[Drunken Irishman]

It's not the middle. The American people have rebuked the Republican ideology in two elections now and don't want to go back to it for the foreseeable future. So when Eric Cantor and others talk about bipartisanship, they must realize the ideological shift that accompanied this country with the election of the Democrats in 2006 and Pres. Obama in 2008.

That means bipartisanship begins left of center. Obama's stimuls is what the American people voted for, not the same old failed policies of the Bush era. If they want to compromise with Pres. Obama, they have got to realize that compromise comes on his terms, not theirs. That's what the American people want and that's what they're going to get, no matter how much Republicans complain.

So sorry, Mr. Cantor, bipartisanship means you actually have to meet the President at no worse than 70-30, because that's the political climate facing this country. If you can't accept that, then maybe you should find out why the American people continue to reject Republican ideals and fix it to the point where you can get back into power.

And if you can't do that, then just sit down and shut the fuck up.

[Cant trust em]

1. They have two options

1. Negotiate from a position of weakness and get whatever they can scratch out
2. Be shut out of the process altogether.

[Drunken Irishman]

2. Exactly.

Why can't they understand the American people are tired of their policies and don't want Obama to compromise what he believes to appease them? They're lucky Obama is giving them a seat at the table in the first place!

[Deep13]

3. I would be happy to consider their ideas on how best...

...to stimulate economic recovery, guarantee universal health care, control greenhouses gasses, reform our financial systems and protect the rights and prosperity of everyone. As far as arguing for more Reaganism, that idea is dead, buried and shoveled over with dirt.

[Drunken Irishman]

4. And that's why the Republicans are out of power.

They're tone deaf, I swear.

Americans have buried Reagan and all he stood for with the election of Barack Obama.

Maybe that's it. Maybe they can't get over that Obama killed their hero.

haha, I love it!

[tanyev]

5. They've never known what bipartisanship means.

They define it as "the Democrats cave in to everything the GOP wants".

[OHdem10]

6. The Conservatives give the impression that their"principles" cannot

be broken. Unfortunately their principles appear to be their
political positions. This means any legislation has to be on
their terms.

As long as they are unyielding and unwilling to bend, there is
no room for compromise. No room for compromise means they are
not serious when talking of bipartisanship.