Come Together

Keith Hennessey notes six areas where he approves of the president's economic policies. All are larded with caveats, but they do show areas in which the GOP can work towards blessed bi-partisanship: Six Good Obama Policies

1. Make [some of] the Bush tax cuts permanent - I approve.

2.Index the Alternative Minimum Tax - this really is something they should get done. The original legislation is not working as intended and the annual "patches" are a waste of time.

3. Slow out-of-control health care cost growth - as Hennessey notes, Obama has identified a problem (good), but has not set out a reasonable solution (bad); quite the opposite, in fact.

4. Slow the growth of Medicare spending - I can't improve on Hennessey here: "He proposed to spend those savings on a new health care entitlement, undoing all the fiscal policy good of slowing spending health care growth. "

5. Approve Free Trade Agreements with South Korea, Panama, and Colombia - the GOP should be moving mountains to help get this done. It's a valuable opportunity to cement allies and trade partners, to lower barriers to trade, and to screw over protectionist unions. Win Win Win.

6. Expand nuclear power - another mountain moving opportunity and one the GOP should grab. Fun Free Will Fact: the one true-blue communist I've known well was very big on nukes because "the Soviets were very good on nuclear technology." Not that I am suggesting the president is a closet Marxist or anything.

And for those of you who believe Nothing Can Be Done due to "partisanship," Hennessey provides this handy list of bi-partisan legislation enacted during the Dread Bush Administration: Bipartisan Successes

Each of the following major laws was enacted on a bipartisan vote:

• The 2001 The 2001 tax cuts;
• the the No Child Left Behind Act in 2001-2 in 2001-2;
• the 2002 the 2002 extension of Trade Promotion Authority;
• the 2003 the 2003 medicare law;
• the 2005 the 2005 energy law focused on electricity focused on electricity;
• the 2006 the 2006 pension reform law;
• the 2007 the 2007 energy law focused on fuel focused on fuel;
• the 2008 the 2008 stimulus law;
• the 2008 the 2008 housing reform law; and
• the 2008 the 2008 TARP law.

President Bush also reached across party lines to reform immigration law. His bipartisan outreach on this issue was successful, but the legislation failed due to opposition from both wings. In that effort President Bush’s team negotiated with a broad group in the Senate, led by Senator Kennedy on the left and Senator Kyl on the right.

Obviously, there are some things on that list that conservatives hate (actually the activity in 2008 is painful to read), but Hennessey's point is that, if it is possible for even the Dumb Constitution Shredder From Texas to pass major legislation with help from the other side, it shouldn't be too much for Jesus Delano Lincoln to do the same.