Forget all the theoretical talk about Obama's "relationship" with the the base, or the professional left, or the whiners. A concrete test of Obama's political strategy is playing out in New Orleans, which anchors one of the few Congressional districts that will probably swing from the GOP to Democrats this November.
Louisiana's second congressional district is so Democratic—and so Obamafied —that it topped the White House list of places to directly deploy the President this election. Obama cut a TV ad this week announcing that he "needs" the Democratic challenger, Cedric Richmond, in Congress. But here's the rub. The current congressman, Anh Cao, was the only Republican to vote for the House version of health care reform.* By not only backing Cao's opponent, which is expected, but also prioritizing the race and making a personalized endorsement, Obama is showing that partisan alliances matter more than the signature domestic policy achievement of his first term.
Imagine that. Conservatives are beside themselves.
The local backlash was swift. "Call on your friend President Obama [now]," taunted a conservative Louisiana radio host on Tuesday. "Cao should not expect any help from Obama," added the host, Jeff Crouere, advising Cao to go on offense.
Nationally, LA Times columnist Andrew Malcom is blasting Cao for ever buying into Obama's "nonsense" about a "renewed sense of bipartisanship." Now the new congressman is tasting grattitude "the Chicago way," Malcom explained. (Conservatives are also mocking Cao on Twitter.)
This little story is stupid but important—like so many things in politics. Bipartisanship has never, ever meant converting to your opponent's party. It means working with your opponent, in good faith, on governing between elections. Then you return to do battle during the campaign, making the case and seeking a mandate for your governing ideas. And on many ideas, Democrats simply disagree with Cao. He opposed the stimulus and the climate bill, for example, and his party is running an intense, obstructionist attack against the White House, thwarting votes and stalling dozens of nominees in the Senate.
In the end, Republicans are drilling one more nail in a bipartisan coffin that is now mostly made of nails. Overall, the vast majority of Congressional Republicans have been rejecting every bipartisan overture since Day One (see "Mr. President, They're Just Not That Into You"). And then, the few who do back an Obama initiative apparently want the president to switch parties for it. Their supporters either deliberately misconstrue bipartisanship—or they actually don't get the concept of working together when you can and also campaigning on your beliefs. That, of course, makes them dismal candidates for sustainable bipartisanship.
Endnotes
1) Cao ultimately voted against final passage of the Senate health care bill, saying it would "open the door" to federally funded abortion, but at the time of the House vote, he was taking a large political risk as the only Republican vote, and no one knew there would be a different package on final passage.
2) In HuffPost news, I hosted a book party for Arianna and author Ari Berman in New York on Wednesday, you can see pictures and sign up for future events at this Facebook page.
Ari Melber writes for The Nation, where this piece was first published.
Follow Ari Melber on Twitter: www.twitter.com/AriMelber
Jim Wallis: It Takes a Movement: Why Politics is Frozen Solid -- Part 2
Richmond arrived 20 minutes late. How? Not like the urbane young man he once was, surrounded by a posse of thugs wearing gold.
He pretended to be inner city, he is not. He is wealthy and attended the best schools. He was rude, he was belligernet. He refused to answer questions.
His response to most policy questions? Silence.
His response to the few questions he did answer? I'm Democrat, and I'm black, vote for me.
New Orleans has had enough of the William Jefferson/Ray Nagin race baiting corruption machine.
Enough to last a lifetime.
Richmond is crooked, he is no longer who he once was, and knows less policy than Palin.
He is an embarrasment.
Cao? An educated politcal refugee who is self-made. A man who rebuilt his community from scratch after Katrina. Who has fought for EVERY member of his district no matter their skin tone. A man with no cronies, no politcal history.
A true grass roots Mr. Smitth Goes To Washington. A republican who voted with Obama on heath care and the stimulas.
Cao is a supporter of Obama. Obama LIKES Cao. They have a good relationship.
So now, the Dems have had Obama film a commercial supporting the unqualified crooked candidate. Why? Because he's a Democrat.
Louisianans vote for the best candidate, we don't play partisan politics.
Hopefully, Obama won't help the wrong man go to Washington.
It's because the President has gone to extraordinary lengths to be bipartisan and it has either shown his true colors as a repug in Dem clothing - or it has shown him what we whiny professional lefties have been saying for a long time, the repugs and blue dogs will never give you anything... and whatever they give you, they will take it back as soon as possible.
Bipartisanship requires two adult-like parties. There is only one side of that street today.
It was fair to give it a chance for a few months after the inauguration. But after the stimulus fiasco, it should have been all out war against the repugs. It's been no secret that, to the pugs, it's been all out war against the President from day one. Instead of engaging the pugs when called out, Obama has worked to negotiate the drubbing he was to get... in the true spirit of bipartisanship.
This thing with Cao has nothing at all to do with the definition of bipartisan. It has everything to do with open political warfare, savagely and effectively waged by one side. Anyone supporting the president will be attacked. The counterattack has been meek and ineffective.
Bipartisanship is alive and well, in states and districts dominated by the opposition.
And he's voted NO on everything else....
Nothing else is of consequence.
A local blogger has been digging into Mr. Richmond's past. Some of the things he has found are not so flattering to Richmond. I hope Mr. Obama is aware of the deeds b/c I would hate to have Richmond eroded the president's credibility. Apparently, Richmond has awarded grants, etc. to groups that he controls.
See www.theamericanzombie.blogspot.com. If you want to filter, search on Richmond's name. There are supporting documents in the blog.
BTW, I still love Obama. I am not in favor of Cao's decision to stick with Repub partisan politics but admit that Cao has done quite a bit of good in his time in office.
Given how much his constituents need health care, he voted for potential votes (souls) instead of thinking about the votes (souls) already here and in need.
That vote did him in.
I don't agree with it, of course, but ultimately that is his job to vote for .
Same old same old.
Louisiana doen't care about voting for a "non-flattering" politician as far as I can see it.
Er, so who said Obama needs to become a Republican, or Cao needs to become a Democrat, to show bipartisanship? Why was that unnecessary statement included?
The _repubs/baggers, with the advantage of the kochbros/dickarmey/murdoch/rove etc. fundingmachine, have inundated us with mentaldefective candidates of questionable ethics and complete theocratic inflexibility. The corpomedia and their paidshill/talking heads are gleefully _complicit in _propogandizing the talkingpoint/bumpersticker technique created-refined by the previous administration's goonsquad, many of whom are STILL embeded in our system.
Now that we have had our noses properly _smeared with the true _danger to our country, the options are clear, regression with the continued _demolition of our rights initiatedandrepresented by the cashbacked wannabes OR stick with the first president in 40 years to truly work for the American people. LET'S SEND THE PRESIDENT SOME HELP IN NOVEMBER!!!
acting less presidential every day.
First of all thank you for the article. I no longer believe in bipartisanship. I endured the year plus where there was some sense of the possibility of us all, Democrats, Republicans, Independents (like me), Green, whatever all sitting down at the table, all God's children, singing "Free At Last" and we'd all have s'mores...not gonna happen. The Republicans saw to that. I admire Obama for trying (it was worth a try) but fact is Cao never had to worry about working with his opponent - he had to worry about not be devoured by his ally for working with his opponent. I think he should leave them. He won't. So whatever Obama does at this point is fine with me. As long as its not bipartisanship. Because I'm sick of it.
Oh the compliment. First I'm old enough to be your...big sister. But did you know that you are really handsome? Well you are. So there.