Obama Sets the Stage for Governing

One of the great things that Barack Obama accomplished during his campaign, with increasing determination toward the latter stages, was to talk about the need for Democrats, Republicans and Independents to work together in order to address the serious problems facing the country. In a way, he has made cooperation and the affirmative act of trying to understand opposing viewpoints and work through them to find common goals into a seemingly patriotic act.

While he’s inspired voters to consider the possibility of personal sacrifice and hard work as their contribution to bringing about change, he has also begun to create an environment where it will be virtually impossible for a Republican minority to take an obstructionist stance toward moving forward with the policies Obama hopes to pursue.

Even if the Democrats don’t end up with a filibuster proof majority in the Senate (and they still have a remote chance pending the results of a runoff in Georgia, a recount in Minnesota and, well, some sort of finding that Alaska Republicans are just too corrupt to participate in government), it will be very difficult for Republicans in Congress to continue the belligerent tactics often promoted by Mitch McConnell in the Senate and John Boehner in the House.

In an Obama Administration with a broad mandate and enthusiastic voter commitment and support, any Republican who appears to be dragging down America’s efforts to bring about the change it seems so hungry for, will be an immediate target to be ousted at the first opportunity, even in some of the more reliably conservative areas of the country.

And that backstabbing Joe Lieberman, whose ass has been kissed by Democratic leadership for far too long in an effort to keep him in the caucus and hold a majority, should be unceremoniously dumped. It doesn't matter whether he's in the caucus or not. He is now irrelevant, since even admitted Republicans will have to support Obama’s policies, at least grudgingly, in order to avoid looking like turds in the punchbowl!

Think about it this way: If the unpopular George Bush could use the presidential soapbox to shame Democrats into accepting policies that allowed torture and warrantless wiretapping by questioning their patriotism, just think what Obama will be able to do to Republicans who fight his policies, when those policies are sure to respect the constitution and seek to benefit all Americans!