Pay No Attention to the Republicans Behind that Curtain...

Part of the responsibility of the media has been and should always be to call out those in power when their rhetoric does not align with the truth. This also includes moments when the rhetoric of those in power is hypocritical in its very nature. It is no secret that this is an exception in the so-called "mainstream media" these days, but you have to give credit where credit is due.

It is because of this that Rachel Maddow gets another "thumbs up" for her coverage of how certain members of the Republican Party have railed against President Obama's stimulus plan, while at the same time graciously accepting stimulus money. Watch:

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Hell, the Washington Times even did a piece on this the other day. Maddow makes a point toward the end of her piece that is dead on. The behavior of the Republicans on the issue of the stimulus funds is a prime example that policy is not their focus. Their focus is on opposing anything and everything that the President and that the Democratic leadership endorse. This holds true even for policies that Republicans initially proposed and that they even think are good policies. It matters not when all you are doing is playing politics.

If the Democrats continue to try and reach out to Republicans and if President Obama continues to strive for bipartisan solutions to the problems that face this nation, I think we all know how that will turn out. The Republicans continually show that they are not interested in agreement, cooperation, or honest debate on any of the issues that have come before them. They have (and will continue to) use the filibuster to oppose legislation and will run on this kind of opposition in 2010 and 2012. If the Democrats don't get this by now, then I don't hold out much hope for meaningful legislation to be passed in the near future.