Dear editor:
Recently I've heard my Republican friends say "Obama is the most polarizing President in American history" and he's "unmovable" and "far too rigid". The statement that Obama is unwilling to work with the GOP is either a lie or completely inaccurate based on knowledge of the following facts.
Republicans can't make a debt deal with Obama because they signed Grover Norquist's lame tax pledge which prevents them from raising taxes under any circumstances; otherwise they'll face another Republican primary challenger backed by mountains of private money and negative advertising. That's a fact. Period.
The debt deal didn't get done because they were unwilling to raise taxes on the wealthiest Americans (people making over $250,000 a year) by a lousy 3%. That is called "compromise". Obama makes cuts other Democrats (like myself) would deem unpopular, and Republicans offer a small tax increase. This logic is not unreasonable whatsoever, especially in light of the fact that we started two wars under President Bush and (not only) never paid for them, but actually cut taxes while starting a war for the first time in American History.
Don't tell me Obama has not done enough to reach across the isle and that he's divisive. He's had Congressional members shout "You Lie" during a State of the Union speech (unprecedented). He's had Presidential candidates question his citizenship (unprecedented). He's had GOP party leaders question his true religion (unprecedented). He's had Senate leadership say "We'll stop at nothing to defeat the President" a few months into his first term.
I know many Republicans hated Clinton in the 90s and spent the majority of the decade hounding him with litigation and conspiracy theories but with the first African American President in History they've absolutely lost their minds and done nothing but block him and vilify him from the outset. I don't recall Clinton supporters ever having to drive past moronic "America vs. Clinton" signs on the side of the road. Even with the disagreements we had in the 90s no one would have insinuate that supporting the sitting President was "un-American". Preposterous.
If we're in this mess it's because of Congressional Republicans and that's why their approval rating is somewhere in the 10% range and at a historical low.
The Republicans signed the pledge. If there is no debt deal or compromise then Republicans are to blame.
Jeff Eggleston
Warren