House Republicans: "We Are Feeling Pretty Relevant"

With each day passing, Republicans in the House seem more emboldened in their opposition to the stimulus package making its way through Congress. Part of their fortitude undoubtedly comes from internal polling shows their ideas for more small business tax cuts are popular.

More broadly, GOP leadership seem confident that they are winning the messaging wars against their Democratic brethren, forcing them to remove certain spending provisions from the stimulus package while still painting Speaker Nancy Pelosi as uncompromising. They are defying the adage that strength comes in numbers. As an astute reporter pointed out, it has been Republicans in the House, not the Senate, dominating the cable news circuit.

"We are feeling pretty relevant," said Indiana Rep. Mike Pence, when asked about the agenda for the upcoming GOP retreat.

"It wasn't like there was some big whip operation to whip members against the bill," said Minority Leader John Boehner. "It just happened."

But if the House GOP is getting a bit of swagger under its feet, it doesn't seem to be affecting the mood in the White House. Aides and allies to the president argue that in the long-term, even failed attempts at compromise on the stimulus will have positive effects.

"The President said throughout the campaign that our politics had grown too small to confront the challenges we face, and changing that starts with ending the game-playing and name-calling that's been so popular in Washington," one White House aide told the Huffington Post.

Certainly, Obama reserves the right to be less inclusive in the next set of negotiations should the House GOP not budge. The high ground has its perks.

"I'm sort of surprised that the House GOP led off [Tuesday's] meeting [with the president] by saying they would vote no even before Obama showed up," said Steve Elmendorf, a Hill veteran. "If you want to vote no, you meet with him and then say we are disappointed and won't vote for this bill because of X,Y, and Z. The big problem is they don't have an alternative theory... what is their plan? Republican economists say we need a big stimulus, the public says we need a big stimulus, what are these guys for?"

Indeed, to this point, the president has shown a willingness to compromise that others at the table have not. He put his thumb on Hill Democrats to drop money for the stimulus for family planning services and re-sodding the National Mall. But he hasn't found much company on the middle ground. Asked on Tuesday, what objectionable items the House GOP would be willing to agree to in the broader goal of forging a bipartisan consensus, Rep. Eric Cantor (R-VA) refused to walk too far out on a political ledge.

"I think there is probably a broad spectrum of members in our conference who would support infrastructure projects that could be producing jobs within the next year of this bill," said the House Whip. "And I think there is certainly that in this proposal."

Comments

[RatgurlSD]

12:22 AM on 01/29/2009

Uh, hi Repubs... if you have to say it out loud, it's not true.

[cinesimon]

12:17 AM on 01/29/2009

To even volunteer such a statement, then to pretend the opposition to the bill wasn't planned, really tells anyone with half a brain what they need to know.

If they were feeling relevant, they'd be working with Obama, not going for broke with their fantasy list of hard right agenda, given they must fully realize that it doesn't really matter what they do - especially in the house.
If they were feeling relevant, they'd not be playing exclusively to the only voters that will still consider supporting them: their base.
If they were feeling relevant, they'd not be licking the boots of the likes of Rush Limbaugh - let alone allowing him to dictate how they should be setting policy and acting towards the Democrats & Obama.
If they were feeling relevant, they'd not be telling people that they feel pretty relevant.

[liberal]

11:18 PM on 01/28/2009

Relevant ? Not anymore

[kottison]

11:05 PM on 01/28/2009

Pretty relevant to do jack squat? Wonder what they'll do if the stimulus actually works.

[springsm]

10:23 PM on 01/28/2009

Oh all pomp. You are where you are because President Obama is trying to get your tiny brain cells to understand negotioation and bi partison. You flunk. And don't feel too important ...all of you that hog the camera cause me to vomit. Not an honest caring person among you. But go gloat..that is your way Boehner. Be an obstructionist and then you can brag to your ignorant rush listening adoring fans.

[stateMachine]

09:47 PM on 01/28/2009

To its adherents, Supply Side Tax ideology is unfalsifiable. Karl Popper would therefore note that there is no "Supply Side Tax Theory", only "Supply Side Tax Metaphysics"

[misspat]

09:44 PM on 01/28/2009

I think the word is "delusional". All you had to do was look at the group holding a press conference today on MSNBC and you could see how irrelavant they are. Middle-aged white guys, one white woman, (poor child), and no diversity. Offering the same jack crap that they have fed us for the last 8-years. Tax cuts for the rich and small businesses. Me thinks the small businesses are out of business in this economy, and somebody in the GOP better start listening. They are so convinced that any idea from across the aisle is wrong, they won't even give it a try. Their arrogance is unbelievable! Give up GOP-- Obama won.

[fran-pan]

09:35 PM on 01/28/2009

yes they are relevant maybe in the 14th century. how did these people get to be so stupid??? they are responsible for the mess this country is in and they are so proud and smug that they are trying to stop
any kind of recovery.. remember all of these republicans in the next election and THROW THE BUMS
OUT>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

[BrickSykes]

08:59 PM on 01/28/2009

Boy! They really made their presence felt on the Stimulus vote, didn't they? Golly, every single one of them was so convinced that there was NOTHING in the Plan that would do America any good, so they just said "NO!"

Now, that is really bipartisan "Progress", isn't it?

Brick

[liberal]

11:20 PM on 01/28/2009

They don't know what bipartisan is, that was obvious when they had the majority.

[FernandoRuiz]

08:12 PM on 01/28/2009

I guess they arent feeling very relevant now seeing as how they just got smacked down by House Democrats. Now Im going to enjoy watching them squirm

[marignymitch]

07:49 PM on 01/28/2009

I can see why, now that Obama's legislative priority is molifying the wingnuts.

[Rapid Ray]

07:25 PM on 01/28/2009

Don't worry...the feeling will pass as reality sets in.

[Ourrias]

06:52 PM on 01/28/2009

Methinks the ladies doth protest!

Just about the time you're having to come out in the media and declare that you are "still relevant" is the time when everyone else on the planet has concluded that, to the contrary, you are indeed NO LONGER RELEVANT!

[Pupster]

06:31 PM on 01/28/2009

Boehner and McConnell are so outclassed, they are struggling to figure out which way is up. Obama and his team are sucking up the media oxygen, and looking like post-partisan statesmen rather than ideological thugs like Boehner and friends do.

Keep it up, Obama. You are impressing the h*ll out of me.

[dst1]

09:20 PM on 01/28/2009

And me too!! Everyone I talk to seems to really be looking to our President Obama for new ideas on how to move forward.

[susie1776]

06:14 PM on 01/28/2009

It is more than obvious that the Republicans could care less about this country. They are too busy trying to score points off the White House. I applaud President Obama for his efforts to include these jerks but enough is enough. They only have one response to every problem..... TAX CUTS for the upper 5% of us.
Nobody LOVES to pay taxes but I think it was Oliver Wendell Holmes who said that taxes are the price we pay for a civilized society. Everytime something bad happens in this country, the victims immediately start asking when they will get help from the Federal Gov't. Everybody wants the services but few want to have to pay for the privilege. Where do we think the unemployment benefits come from? I'll bet there are a whole bunch of Republicans collecting Social Security while at the same time criticizing the Dems for wanting to keep it alive. It just goes on and on. We need and want money for better schools and teachers but we don't want to have to pay property taxes. We just expect something for nothing.
The Republicans ran this coountry into the ground the last eight years. But NOW they've gottem religion and are worried about spending? I think Obama should tell them to shut up!! If they won't be part of the solution, then they are part of the problem.

[Pupster]

06:32 PM on 01/28/2009

And the American people were smart enough to run them out of office, and now they're a powerless minority. YES WE CAN!!

[Strobe74]

07:18 PM on 01/28/2009

As far as i'm concerned we haven't run nearly enough of them out of office. It looks like our job of voting these guys out of office isn't done yet. The people asked for change and all the republicans heard was "We want more negativity and division" and they're trying to serve up the biggest spoon full of it that they can.

Time to vote more republicans out of office.