The disconnect is everywhere now. Republicans and right-wing bloggers think they’ve shown the Obama Administration what’s what. For example, Kathleen Parker seems to think President Obama has been bested by Rush Limbaugh —

Obama was cool even when, at that same GOP meeting, he urged Republicans to stop listening to Rush Limbaugh. No anger, just angst. “You can’t just listen to Rush Limbaugh and get things done.” Excuse me, Mr. President, but you’ve been baited by none other than the Master Fisherman. Limbaugh tossed you a lure and you chomped. … the backfire Obama felt in West Virginia was a gentle zephyr compared to the blowback that can be bellowed by El Rushbo.

Sure he can bellow, but does anyone care? In the past several months we’ve seen over and over again that what Rush bellows does not move public opinion by so much as a hair. Steve Elman and Alan Tolz wrote in the Boston Globe (November 8, 2008),

Consider some of the major stumbles this year by the medium’s 800-pound gorilla. Rush Limbaugh vigorously promoted three separate political objectives over the past year, all of which failed: derailing John McCain’s quest for the Republican nomination, sabotaging Barack Obama’s drive for the Democratic nomination by fomenting Republican crossover votes for Hillary Clinton, and ultimately stopping Obama’s march to victory in the general election. … …New ears – even middle-aged or senior ears – are vital to talk radio’s influence because they are attached to brains that are available for persuasion, rather than brains that have already made a choice. In other words, if Limbaugh and Michael Savage (not to mention Rachel Maddow, Ed Schultz, and other more recent adventurers in talk) fail to attract many new listeners, they end up talking only to those who agree with their opinions, and thus have a smaller chance to affect the ideas of the electorate in general.

The “no new ears” syndrome is haunting the entire Republican Party these days. They are busily congratulating each other for sticking it to the Obama Administration this week. As Nate Silver says, House Republicans in particular seem to be saying no just to say no. I mean, what’s with blocking a delay in the changeover to digital television?

(BTW, the federal program set up by the previous administration to provide coupons for purchasing digital-to-analog converter boxes ran out of money several months ago.)

Eugene Robinson writes in the Washington Post that Republicans not only have no new ears; the ears they have aren’t hearing much.

When not one single, solitary Republican vote can be found in the House of Representatives to support the president’s $819 billion stimulus package, it’s pretty clear that the GOP caucus has been meeting in a soundproof room.

See also Michael Tomasky, “They Actually Think This” and “Boy, it’s fun to kick these people while they’re down!”

There has been criticism of Obama from the Left from people who think he should not have even attempted to negotiate with Republicans on the stimulus package. But I think he was right to make a public show of meeting with them and offering concessions. I think many people would like to see an end to petty partisan bickering. So Obama reached out a hand and the Republicans bit it. Did you catch that, America? Do you see who’s at fault here?

Kathleen Parker (you really ought to read this column all the way through; it’s pathological) tries to make the case that Obama is showing the same “arrogance” that Dubya showed early in his administration. Parker actually writes,

If Obama had a mandate at all, it was to heal the divisions that have plagued politics for so long. No more partisan bickering, he promised, though there’s only about a smirk’s difference between Obama and Bush, stylistically. While one is bring-’em-on confrontational and the other a passive-aggressive Mr. Cool, both reveal a staggering sense of personal empowerment.

Ms. Parker, dear, what Obama is showing is voter empowerment, not personal empowerment. Your side lost. The American people want change, and your side is standing in the way. Exactly what entitles you to do that?

Regarding the family planning provision dropped from the stimulus bill — Katha Politt thinks Obama has betrayed women. However, Steve Benen writes that the Obama Administration is committed to the family planning funds and intends to put the provision in another bill.

There was an impression in some circles that Obama’s willingness to scuttle the family-planning funds was evidence of a lack of commitment on the issue. For the president, however, it seems this was about when to advance funding on the issue, not whether. Obama wasn’t giving up on access to Medicaid-covered family planning services, he was just delaying it a little to help advance the stimulus plan.

Now that the House Republicans have demonstrated they want to be marginalized, I say they can be politely ignored from now on.

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