Steele: Bipartisanship "Is A Fiction Of Politics"

In an interview with the Washington Times' Cal Thomas, Michael Steele says that Obama's quest for bipartisanship is not a political reality.

Mr. Steele believes bipartisanship "is a fiction of politics. It's an idea people work toward, but the reality is something else."

Steele also says that President Obama is not serious about his attempts at bipartisanship, but neither were Republican leaders when they were in power.

"Having a photo-op with a bunch of Republicans, inviting them to have a beer with you, or watch a football game is great theater, but when you don't take our suggestions seriously, when you don't respect our staffs and involve them in the vetting process; when you don't confer with the minority party ... you're not serious about bipartisanship."

Didn't Republicans when they ran Congress do to Democrats what Democrats are now doing to Republicans? "Right," Mr. Steele admits, "and everyone [then] clamored for bipartisanship. Did they get it? No."

Steele's comments appear to conflict with those of other GOP leaders, who have tried to use Obama's bipartisan pledge to their advantage. For example, House Minority Whip Eric Cantor said recently that he accepts Obama's commitment to working across the aise "in good spirit."

"He was elected with an awful lot of hope on the part of voters that he was actually going to do things in a different way," Cantor said.

And in an interview with Bloomberg that was published the same day as Steele's with the Washington Times, Mitch McConnell reaffirmed his investment in bipartisanship despite evidence to the contrary.

In the interview, McConnell said one issue he and Obama might work together on is a possible move to recast at least one of the three major entitlement programs -- Social Security, Medicare or Medicaid. At a White House health-care forum last week, he told Obama an accord would be easier to reach if a bipartisan task force of lawmakers made recommendations.

Comments

[peacegurl48]

02:36 PM on 03/12/2009

How sad for our country! We cannot have goverance by extreme ideologues. The Republicans see any compromise as putting them in check..hence the hatred for government which exists to protect the people.

[RadicalRepublican]

12:18 PM on 03/12/2009

Again, bipartisanship to a Republican means, "do it my way".

[rich misty]

02:34 AM on 03/12/2009

2010 we need to do it again ;-)

Honestly, there is enough diversity in the Democratic party, our own internal dissent, we don't need any Republicans in government at all.

[hilaritee]

01:38 AM on 03/12/2009

na na na na, na na na na, hey hey goodbye!!!

[Bude]

01:15 AM on 03/12/2009

Mr. Steele, your goose is cooked. I'm going to miss you. You were kind of fun to kick around.

Good luck in your new career.

[TomTheAlmostUgly]

12:30 AM on 03/12/2009

"Steele also says that President Obama is not serious about his attempts at bipartisanship..."

Bleep, I get so tired of Republicans saying, "I can read Obama's mind and I know, he's lying to you." If all these Republicans know what BHO is thinking, why did they lose the election to him, and why are the GOP's approval numbers so lousy?

[rich misty]

02:33 AM on 03/12/2009

Yep... They must have planned it that way.

[Shieldmaiden]

12:26 AM on 03/12/2009

We held out our hands to them and we got more than a clenched fist. They bit our hand. F.UCK THEM.

[berrycooda]

12:22 AM on 03/12/2009

More like a figment of your imagination....

Too bad we can't have a government for the people and not for iindividual
politicians.

They pander to the cameras and complain that the other side doesn't agree with
them......

It is now and has been in the past....too much for the wealthy and
ALMS FOR THE POOR.

[blues101]

11:36 PM on 03/11/2009

They were invited to play and play along, and nothing reached them. So enough of the bipartisan stuff,let's keep it partisan, it works better with this bunch.

[mmgbizgirl]

07:53 PM on 03/11/2009

If you start with road blocks you have no where to go.

[Tugar]

07:51 PM on 03/11/2009

WHEN MICHEL STEELE follows the usual: (No Bipartisan, No Cooperation) Republican attitude, another Repub pops up (Eric Cantor) and says they are for Bipartisanship.

When he tries to use the LET'S ALL GET TOGETHER AND LOVE ONE ANOTHER "BABY," approach, they collectively want to throw him out as their chairman.

I TELL YOU, STEELE'S GOT HIS JOB CUT OUT FOR HIM WITH THAT CROWD ! LOL, LOL, LOL !!!

[Kindheart]

07:41 PM on 03/11/2009

How to win friends and influence people by Michael Steele!!!!

[Wilsonv]

07:22 PM on 03/11/2009

So is a black republican.

[Files]

06:49 PM on 03/11/2009

This is a surprising honest statement. I'm foursquare against any bipartisanship. During the Bush years, that was all anyone could talk about, and what did it get us? A spineless opposition party that rubberstamped nearly everything Bush wanted.

No compromise with the GOP.

[GoogleMaster]

06:39 PM on 03/11/2009

Sounds like he's still got that Rush electrode hooked up to his brain controlling his speech.
That wasn't just a SNL skit folks.

[indy girl]

07:58 AM on 03/12/2009

** ZZZTT!!!! **