So, the economic recovery package passed the House without a single Republican vote. This, after the President's broadcasted efforts at getting Republican House members on board. Into the package go upper-bracket tax cuts at the expense of more stimulative works projects ... and still no Republican votes. Still, I think Al Giordano has the proper interpretation of the kabuki:

I don't disagree with the statement of fact - that Republicans will likely oppose the Stimulus - but I also don't think that Obama is on the Hill speaking to House and Senate Republicans under any illusion that he's there to secure their votes for that bill. Rather, he's setting them up under the glare of the mass media to be seen as the unreasonable party in contrast to what everybody watching him on TV is going to view as reasonable and respectful. In sum, he's using them as props, and turning their weakness - their own frothing desire for "partisanship" - against them.

Now the bill goes to the Senate, where the Administration has some better "ins." Then conference, where hopefully some of the Republican-initiated provisions that yielded not a single Republican vote for the package can be stripped and replaced with macroeconomically-sound stimulus provisions. That's my hope, anyway.

More reason to strip out the Republican-initiated provisions ... the public trusts Democrats to do so.