They never learn
by kos

So Democrats have bent over backwards watering down the stimulus bill and even stripping out such "objectionable" material to Republicans as family planning funds for the low-income, all in the name of "bipartisanship".

And how do Republicans repay those efforts?

President Barack Obama is coming to the Capitol this afternoon to curry favor with congressional Republicans. But it appears GOP leaders have already made up their minds to oppose his $825 billion stimulus plan.

House Republican Leader John A. Boehner and his No. 2, Whip Eric Cantor, told their rank-and-file members Tuesday morning during a closed-door meeting to oppose the bill when it comes to the floor Wednesday, according to an aide familiar with the discussion. Boehner told members that he's voting against the stimulus, and Cantor told the assembled Republicans that there wasn't any reason for them to support the measure, according to another person in the room. Cantor and his whip team are going to urge GOP members to oppose it.

Of course Republicans will oppose this. Anyone who doesn't have their head stuck up David Broder's ass knows that there is no margin for Republicans in supporting the stimulus package. It will bust the budget beyond the busted-up bloody pulp it already is, it will include all sorts of stupid funding decisions that will provide fantastic attack ad fodder, and it might not even work. And as I wrote earlier, if it succeeds, Republicans won't even get the credit (which will go to Obama and his Congressional allies).

It would be stupid for Republicans to try and obstruct the bill, but there's no political reason for them to support it. Democrats have the votes to do pretty much whatever they please. So it's best to lay out a competing agenda (i.e. more tax cuts for the rich!) and then use those distinctions to start building their new messaging. Worst case scenario for Republicans, the stimulus works and they're toast in 2010 anyway. Best case, the stimulus does little to help the nation's economic recovery, and they can play the "change" card next election.

Therefore, if Republicans won't play, why should Democrats water down the stimulus to the point of ineffectiveness and cave to ridiculous ideological demands (like the family planning stuff) when they won't get their cherished "bipartisanship" anyway? They should craft the best solution possible to the nation's woes, and if those solutions work, people will know exactly who to credit. And if they fail, they'll know exactly who to blame.

There's a reason Democrats won massively the last two cycles, and it wasn't because people were desperate for "bipartisanship".