House Republicans voted unanimously against the economic stimulus bill which President Obama personally went to the Capitol to endorse.
All 177 House Republicans voted no. The bill passed, 244-to-188, with 11 Democrats against.
The lockstep voting by Republicans is in stark contrast to Obama's broad efforts for open-mindedness in Washington.
Eleven Democrats voted against their party. Every Republican voted the same.
The G.O.P. seems to be missing the message of Obama's election, which was to replace ideology with pragmatism in Washington.
In 1993, every House Republican voted against the deficit-reduction bill that became the hallmark of the Clinton years. The G.O.P. seems stuck in that same mindless adversarialism.
"That was then, this is then" is not going to be a winning philosophy in 2009.
For his part, Obama shows cheer. After the vote, he hosted a cocktail party at the White House. House Republicans were there. One wonders what the Grumpy Old People found not to like. Surely they did. Walter Matthau would have found something!
Steve Burke
for Ithaca Blog
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