Republican Party Begins Fracturing Over How Soon To Start Obstructing Obama

Chambliss, die-hard obstructionist would sacrifice national security for partisan politics

Yesterday we pointed out how the extremists who have come to dominate the Republican Party Senate caucus, mostly regionally-attuned neo-confederate reactionaries and Know Nothings like the pairs of kooks from South Carolina, Georgia, Oklahoma, Texas and Kentucky, have vowed to obstruct Obama's agenda by filibustering his nominations and legislative proposals. Just over a week ago we may have gotten a glimpse of their intentions when DeMint (R-SC) lead 6 of the worst extremists in a bizarre and failed attempt to block an extension of unemployment insurance to millions of working families who are the victims of the Bush economic miracle. Joining DeMint were crazed right-wingers James Inhofe (R-OK), Tom Coburn (R-OK), John Barrasso (R-WY), Michael Enzi (R-WY) and Orrin Hatch (R-UT). Locked in a tight re-election run-off, radical right extremist Saxby Chambliss lied to voters in Georgia and claimed he would not have supported the filibuster, despite a voting record that proves beyond doubt he would have.

One Senate Republican who has signaled he would not join ideological obstructionism meant to cause Obama to fail is mainstream conservative Richard Lugar (R-IN). Yesterday on ABC’s This Week with George Stephanopoulos Lugar praised Obama’s national security team as “excellent. I think it will be a strong team." He added, perhaps for McConnell's and DeMint's benefit, that “bipartisan support of this team really is of the essence right now.” Lugar specifically stated he would vote to confirm Hillary Clinton, who many expect right-wing fanatics like DeMint, Inhofe, and Chambliss-- if he wins the George run-off-- to filibuster. Lugar even went so far as to say he liked the idea of Obama using President Clinton as a good will ambassador, something sure to drive wing nut extremists up the wall.

A former employee of Clinton's, now working as Chief of Staff for Obama, Rahm Emanuel inserted himself into the partisanship battle by declaring that "We’re not lip-synching bipartisanship,” insinuating that McConnell better not be either. The national security roll out today is likely to be the least contentious of the battles Obama will face from the far right, since it is widely viewed as strong and bipartisan, although even here the fringe maniacs of the Republican Party are demanding suicidal opposition from their representatives. It will be fun to watch which ones they control.