Damned if they do, damned if they don’t

Nancy Pelosi is pissed off at Republicans. While that isn’t all too surprising, her reason is. In advance of President Obama’s jobs address before a joint session of congress tonight, Boehner’s office announced that no one from the Republican Party will issue a formal rebuttal. Boehner spokesman Mike Steel said Obama's proposals "will rise or fall on their own merits." 


But apparently Pelosi was gearing up for a row, and she’s going to pick a fight no matter what. Pelosi claimed that by not offering a rebuttal, Republicans are being “not only disrespectful to [the president], but to the American people.” 

Aren’t politics confusing? It seems that since Obama took the oath of office, Democrats have been admonishing Republicans to lay off the president. Furthermore, I thought the American people were tired of partisan bickering. Forgive me for thinking this looks like a double-dose of giving people what they want.

Surely there is some calculation behind the Republicans’ decision. But if that calculation results in things the Democrats are supposedly after, a more civil tone, less criticism of Obama, what’s the point in arguing about it?

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