QGA’s Jim Manley: My press release of the day award has to go to the folks at the Senate Republican Communications Center. On a tactical level it was a thing of beauty, elegant in its simplicity. The writers of the release just cut and pasted a few quotes from Senator Reid and the President regarding the President’s jobs bill, slapped an eye catching headline on their release, “Dem Leader Blocks vote on President’s Stimulus,” and proceeded to tweet it out to their hearts’ content.
But, as always, the truth is a bit more complicated, reality is a bit more nuanced and tweeting is a poor alternative to legislating. It would be one thing if Republicans had demonstrated even the remotest interest in sitting down and negotiating a bill in good faith, but despite the continued economic uncertainty facing this country, all we keep hearing from them is the same old ‘my way or the highway’ rhetoric. It reminds me of that actor in the movie “Reservoir Dogs,” who used that line over and over. Go ahead, Republicans, and continue to express mock surprise that the bill is not on the floor yet, but until you are prepared to try to help fashion an acceptable compromise, your position is nothing more than posturing.