Is President Obama's Strategy of Compromise with the Republicans Effective or Not?

If a picture is worth a thousand words, then the political cartoons during the end of January, 2010 and the beginning of February, 2010 told the story well. The cartoons show the Democrats and Republicans divided with weapons drawn and President Obama in the middle saying that there must be some points which both Democrats and Republicans can agree on. To any other country viewing the political cartoons, it would seem that we are at war with each other within our own country. Which, in fact, I am sorry to say, I believe we are.

The latest scene is of the Republican party touting Scott Brown's swearing in as the forty-first vote they needed to block any legislation that President Obama and the Democrats would attempt to pass. Before Scott Brown won Ted Kennedy's Senate seat, President Obama's thinking was that our government could compromise with each other across party lines for the good of our people. I am saying that his thinking was that our government could come to compromises and pass health care, energy and economic bills for the good of all of our people because I believe he has come to the realization that his strategy of compromising with the Republicans for the good of the American people does not and will not work. The Republican party is adamant at ensuring that no bills will be passed by President Obama and the Democrats on their watch. The Republicans thought process is one of warring with the President and the Democrats rather than compromising and getting bills passed for the good of our Country. The Republican's thought process is so win-lose that they have taken to calling Scott Brown "41" because he makes just enough Republican Senators to block anything the 59-member majority wants to pass.

According to CNN's Carol Costello, what President Obama needs to do is clearly enunciate his vision for health care reform, nuclear energy and drilling, our economy and the creation of jobs and then stick by his position. According to Costello, instead of loudly fighting back and demanding legislation, President Obama tried to bring Republicans into the fold and it completely backfired on him. Clearly, according to Costello, President Obama must scrap his strategy of compromising with the Republicans and offer no further compromises on any of his policies because the Republicans are receiving the compromises as opportunities to block any and all legislation to make it appear as if President Obama is getting nothing completed in office. President Obama's strategy of diplomatic compromise was both genuine and strategic; however, the strategy is not working and precious time is being wasted as the Republican Party has chosen to take up arms with the Obama Administration.

It does not matter why the Republicans have chosen to war with the Obama Administration and prevent our Country from progressing and moving forward as one strong Nation of American people; what does matter is that President Obama and the Democratic Party must forcefully thrust forward with a clear vision, mission and focus for the progression of our Nation and our American people. To quote President Obama from his State of the Union Address, "For while the people who sent us here have different backgrounds, different stories and different beliefs the anxieties they face are the same...They share a stubborn resilience in the face of adversity... It is because of this spirit - this great decency and great strength - that I have never been more hopeful about America's future than I am tonight. Despite our hardships, our union is strong. We do not give up. We do not quit. We do not allow fear or division to break our spirit. In this new decade, it's time the American people get a government that matches their decency; that embodies their strength."