Obama Struggling to Find Photo-Op Republicans

By Ralph Alter

Looks like President Barack Obama has got another think coming. The Acorn Wonder is trying a combination of bombardment and enticement to gain bipartisan support needed to give him cover for the Pelosi Pork Stimulator 2009. Obama's display of less than gracious disrespect ("I won") for the formerly wobbly guys across the aisle fell flatter than Caroline Kennedy's political EKG. The Congressional GOP bucked up and left Obama and Pelosi to garner all the accolades (or all the blame) for the results of this porcine enhancer.

Even the fact of zero Republican support for the bill couldn't wipe the rictal grin off the face of Nancy Pelosi as she helped ram the Pork Stimulator through Congress on the basis of the more plebian chamber's overwhelming Democrat majority. In celebration of the Democrats' pyrrhic victory, BO Plenty had a bipartisan soiree for Congressional leaders over to the White House. Even tempting the opposition with expensive wagyu steaks wasn't flying however, as the report out of the American equivalent of the House of Lords suggests that Pelosi's Pork may need a bit of Viagra. Mitch McConnell certainly didn't candy-coat it:

"I can't believe that the president isn't embarrassed about the products that have been produced so far."

While President Obama may be wet behind the ears, he is surrounded by enough experience to help him recognize that when even that old aisle-crosser hisself, John McCain, refuses to play along, the chances of garnering bipartisan support are between slim and none. If the Democrats remain arrogant enough to take their chances and shoulder all the responsibility for this Calydonian Boar of a bill, a slim chance remains that one of the Northeastern Republicans will provide token support for the Pelosian fiasco. It probably wouldn't hurt the careers of Olympia Snowe (RINO-ME), Susan Collins(Ditto) or Obama's new buddy, Gregg Judd(RINO-NH-and probably Commerce Secretary) to appear in flagrante de picto standing behind President BO Plenty as he signs the equivalent of an adjustable-rate, no document, sub-prime mortgage on our grandchildren's future. It looks like that's the only cover Obama is likely to get, if any.

Ralph Alter blogs at Right on Target