Advertisement
INSIDE WASHINGTON
Political Insiders Poll
Click here to see how prominent political bloggers responded to these questions.
Q: Politically, how important is it to President Obama that health care reform be bipartisan?
Democrats (88 votes)
Very important 27 percent Somewhat important 47 percent Not very important 22 percent Not important at all 5 percent
Very important
"This is not an issue that Obama at his mightiest can do just with Democrats: Ask Truman and everyone since."
"Reform of this magnitude requires more than the votes needed for passage; the government and private sector need to be invested in its success rather than its failure."
"If he allows this effort to be partisan in any way, he will only get incremental change."
Somewhat important
"Only to show that he can work across party lines and set up the coalition to pay for it."
"It will be somewhat important for Obama to pass a bill that will not arm the Republicans with the scary arguments that could be useful to them in the next election."
"Getting any kind of meaningful Republican support would take the edge off of the 'socialist' charge in 2010 and 2012."
"Far more important that it pass and that it works."
"The real bipartisanship has to be between the liberals and the moderates within the Democratic Party."
"If the Republicans play 'Dr. No,' it will hurt the GOP more than the president."
"Collaboration and compromise comfort the public--but not at the expense of getting something done."
Not very important
"It is only important that it get done; this is what Clinton lost on last time."
"This isn't the time for half-measures we say are real health insurance."
"Success will be measured first by success itself, then by results. Bipartisan support affects neither."
Not important at all
"Americans just want health care and cost containment. Only people in D.C. care about the process."
Q: Politically, how important is it to President Obama that health care reform be bipartisan?
Republicans (85 votes)
Very important 48 percent Somewhat important 22 percent Not very important 25 percent Not important at all 4 percent A combination (volunteered) 1 percent
Very important
"Given the impact of this bill on one-fifth of our economy, a highly partisan and ideological bill is likely to be reversed or pared back down the road."
"A partisan approach to health care will fail with the American people. They will view the lack of bipartisan consensus as an overreach."
"It is one thing for new president to jam through an $800 billion stimulus without GOP votes, but the implications relative to health care reform will be long-lasting and far-reaching: Dems would be crazy to own it all by themselves."
"There must be cover for some of the Dems who will not vote for something that has no GOP support."
Somewhat important
"It is such a major issue for his constituency that it is important to get it done while he has such political momentum. Combine Obama's political mojo and Sen. Kennedy's legacy--this train is flying out of the station and is a nonstop."
"He's got the votes, and the GOP is playing catch-up on ideas after 15 years of not giving health care adequate priority."
"It's helpful politically to have bipartisan support, but he hasn't taken any hits for the lack of GOP support for the stimulus package."
Not very important
"May sound good to say they want a bipartisan bill, but when they pushed to include it in budget reconciliation it shows they don't care that much."
"Conservatives won't be happy with the final bill no matter what's in it."
"Remember No Child Left Behind? Bush and Republicans got blamed despite Kennedy's support for a bad sweeping national plan."
"At the end of the day, all that will matter is whether it happened. Style points may mean something around D.C. but precious little elsewhere."
Not important at all
"Bipartisanship, and the policy deliberations needed to produce it, take time. The president's objective is speed, not deliberation."
Q: Who is the dominant voice of the Republican Party these days?
Democrats (84 votes)
Dick Cheney 65 percent Rush Limbaugh 17 percent Newt Gingrich 8 percent
Also receiving votes: House Minority Whip Eric Cantor, "no dominant voice," 2 percent each; George W. Bush, author Ann Coulter, Ronald Reagan, Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Steele, 1 percent each.
Dick Cheney
"Limbaugh has a bigger megaphone, but even his supporters know he gets paid to overstate the case. Cheney enjoys the presumption of 'been there, done that' from his years of public service, and while his words are dismissed by many, they carry a greater weight among his supporters."
"It's Cheney by default, and the DNC should consider buying him a weekly half-hour show."
"If there is another terrorist attack on American soil in the next three years, no matter what the cause, Cheney's comments will appear prescient. Still, he is terribly unlikable and certainly doesn't represent the next generation of Republican leadership."
"I'm ready to buy Cheney's book, for he's been a great gift to Democrats since he left office."
"The baton has been passed backwards."
Rush Limbaugh
"The base loves Limbaugh, but he scares the hell out of moderate voters."
"He has the megaphone and knows how to use it. Others have the position but don't have the ability to [make an] impact like Rush on a daily basis."
"The only one before whom they all genuflect."
Newt Gingrich
"His strategy of constant critique and conflict born in the 1990s still reigns supreme in the Republican Party, even if he is not always as visible as he would like to be."
Q: Who is the dominant voice of the Republican Party these days?
Republicans (83 votes)
No dominant voice 35 percent Dick Cheney 33 percent Newt Gingrich 13 percent
Also receiving votes: Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, 4 percent; House Minority Leader John Boehner, Rush Limbaugh, Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Steele, 2 percent each; Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour, House Minority Whip Eric Cantor, Sen. John Cornyn of Texas, Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Ronald Reagan, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, 1 percent each.
No dominant voice
"No party ever has a dominant voice when it doesn't have either the White House or Congress."
"And that's fine -- let 1,000 Republicans bloom."
"There is absolutely no leader in the GOP. The RNC chair is an embarrassment, and as a result, there are a number of voices in Congress, but not a single person can be perceived as the leader."
"And that is good because any of the usual suspects would be harmful to the long-term prospects for the party."
Dick Cheney
"The fact that he was able to command equal billing with the POTUS on torture is the best evidence of that."
"Given how wrong he has been, one would think a little humility might start seeping into his thinking, but so far there's little sign of that."
"The former VP in defending his own honor and policies that have kept this country safe is showing the 'newcomers' how it's done -- direct, measured, through raw grit and determination."
"And it just makes me want to cry."
Newt Gingrich
"For three reasons: the number of media appearances, having something intelligent to say, and not sounding like a jackass."
"He's making news, is on the shows, is on the chicken-dinner circuit. It feels like 1995 all over again."
National Journal Insiders
Democratic Political Insiders Jill Alper, Brad Bannon, Dave Beattie, Andy Bechhoefer, Cornell Belcher, Mitchell W. Berger, Mike Berman, Stephanie Bjornson, Paul Brathwaite, Donna Brazile, Mark Brewer, Ed Bruley, George Bruno, Deb Callahan, Bonnie Campbell, Bill Carrick, Martin J. Chavez, Tony Coelho, Jerry Crawford, Jeff Danielson, Peter Daou, Jim Demers, Tad Devine, David Di Martino, Debbie Dingell, Monica Dixon, Patrick Dorton, Anita Dunn, Jeff Eller, Steve Elmendorf, Carter Eskew, Eric Eve, Vic Fazio, Peter Fenn, Scott Ferson, Jim Fleischmann, Tina Flournoy, Don Foley, Don Fowler, Vincent Frillici, Gina Glantz, Niles Godes, John Michael Gonzalez, Joe Grandmaison, Anna Greenberg, Stan Greenberg, Pat Griffin, Larry Grisolano, Michael Gronstal, Lisa Grove, Marcia Hale, Jill Hanauer, Dick Harpootlian, Paul Harstad, Laura Hartigan, Mike Henry, Karen Hicks, Leo Hindery, Jr., Harold Ickes, Marcus Jadotte, John Jameson, Steve Jarding, Jonathon Jones, Jim Jordan, Gale Kaufman, Kam Kuwata, Celinda Lake, David Lang, Penny Lee, Chris Lehane, Jeff Link, Bill Lynch, Bob Maloney Steve Marchand, Jim Margolis, Paul Maslin, Keith Mason, Susan McCue, Gerald McEntee, Tom McMahon, Phil McNamara, David Medina, Mark Mellman, John Merrigan, Steve Murphy, Janet Napolitano, David Nassar, Marcia Nichols, John Norris, Tom Ochs, Tom O'Donnell, Scott Parven, Jeffrey Peck, Debora Pignatelli, Tony Podesta, Larry Rasky, Bruce Reed, Mame Reiley, Steve Ricchetti, Will Robinson, Steve Rosenthal, David Rudd, John Ryan, Wendy Sherman, Terry Shumaker, Kevin Shuvalov, Sean Sinclair Phil Singer, Erik Smith, Doug Sosnik, Darry Sragow, Katrina Swett, Sarah Swisher, Jeffrey Trammell, Ed Turlington, Mike Veon, Rick Wiener, Bridgette Williams, JoDee Winterhof, Brian Wolff, and Jim Zogby.
GOP Political Insiders Dan Allen, Stan Anderson, Gary Andres, Saulius (Saul) Anuzis, Rich Ashooh, Whit Ayres, Brett Bader, Mitch Bainwol, Gary Bauer, David Beckwith, Clark Benson, Wayne Berman, Brian Bieron, Charlie Black, Kirk Blalock, Carmine Boal, Jeff Boeyink, Ron Bonjean, Jeff Buley, Luke Byars, Nick Calio, Danny Carroll, Ron Christie, Jim Cicconi, Cesar Conda, Jake Corman, Scott Cottington, Charlie Crist, Greg Crist, Diane Crookham-Johnson, Fergus Cullen, Mike Dennehy, Ken Duberstein, Steve Duprey, Debi Durham, Frank Fahrenkopf, John Feehery, Don Fierce, Carl Forti, Alex Gage, Sam Geduldig, Adam Geller, Benjamin Ginsberg, Bill Greener, Jonathan Grella, Lanny Griffith, Janet Mullins Grissom, Doug Gross, Todd Harris, Steve Hart, Christopher Healy, Ralph Hellmann, Chris Henick, Terry Holt, David Iannelli, Clark Judge, David Keating, David Kensinger, Bruce Keough, Bob Kjellander, Ed Kutler, Chris Lacivita, Jim Lake, George LeMieux, Steve Lombardo, Kevin Madden, Joel Maiola, Gary Maloney, David Marin, Mary Matalin, Dan Mattoon, Brian McCormack, Mark McKinnon, Kyle McSlarrow, Ken Mehlman, Jim Merrill, Tim Morrison, Mike Murphy, Phil Musser, Ron Nehring, Terry Nelson, Neil Newhouse, David Norcross, Ziad Ojakli, Jack Oliver, Todd Olsen, Van B. Poole, Tom Rath, Scott Reed, David Rehr, Steve Roberts, Jason Roe, David Roederer, Dan Schnur, Russ Schriefer, Rich Schwarm, Brent Seaborn, Rick Shelby, Andrew Shore, Kevin Shuvalov, Don Sipple, Robin Smith, Javier Soto, Fred Steeper, Bob Stevenson, Eric Tanenblatt, Richard Temple, Heath Thompson, Jay Timmons, Warren Tompkins, Ted Van Der Meid, Dirk van Dongen, Jan van Lohuizen, Stewart Verdery, Dick Wadhams, John Weaver, Tom Wilson, Dave Winston, Ginny Wolfe, and Fred Wszolek.