GOP Moderates See Political Benefits in Opposing Obama’s Economic Agenda

[babylonsister]

GOP Moderates See Political Benefits in Opposing Obama’s Economic Agenda
By Alan K. Ota, CQ Staff


President Obama’s enviable poll numbers have yet to persuade moderate House Republicans to back key parts of the new administration’s economic agenda.

The moderates are more worried about the pressures from their right, where the Republican Study Committee is taking names and conservatives are raising the prospect of primary challenges, than about potential fallout from opposing a popular president.

No Republican voted for the Obama-backed economic stimulus package (HR 1) when the House passed it on Jan. 28, and the outlook is not much different for an upcoming omnibus fiscal 2009 spending package, the fiscal 2010 budget and a new financial bailout plan.

GOP leaders say they are less worried about defections now than they were during the departed Bush administration. And they see moderate Republicans as offering a good chance of unseating Democrats in marginal districts.

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http://www.cqpolitics.com/wmspage.cfm?docID=news-000003026985

[anonymous171]

1. But remember guys, lockstep is bad!

Imagine what the dems could have done if we had been united during the last 8 years.

[atreides1]

2. GOP Moderates???

Isn't that like "Jumbo Shrimp"?

How can you claim to be a moderate, when you march in lockstep with the uber conservatives?

[indepat]

3. 'pukes care solely about greed and their own power and control and not a whit

about what is good for the Republic? :P

[babylonsister]

4. Pretty much, yes. nt

[Johonny]

5. This is why I support the Dems massively re-writing the stimulus

I think the Dems gave way more tax breaks than will functionally help the real economy at the same time removing social programs that actually need funding and will improve peoples lives. Their was more than enough stuff in that bill targeting moderate Republicans. But they voted no anyways. They are gambling the poorer quality of life for the next 2 years, for possible future political gains 2 years from now. To me politically and socially the Dems owe it to themselves to then pass the right bill rather than anything close to the compromised Senate version of the bill. Get the economy moving again, then use the economy to beat moderate Republican seats in 2010 (not there's many of these left).