Republicans lose in a dramatic stand

This week the Republicans tried to send Pres. Barack Obama a strong message: you might be Michael Jordan, but we're still going to play defense.

Despite personally campaigning for an $819 billion stimulus bill, Pres. Obama could not raise a single Republican vote. In Obama's 244 - 188 victory, Republicans were unanimous in their opposition.

Just eight days after 2 million people gathered in front of the Capitol steps to welcome the new executive, Republicans, in the same building, staged an open revolt against the president's leadership.

To keep my basketball analogies going, I remember a quote that says 'if a guy is coming through the lane scoring on every possession, the next time he comes your way, clean his clock. He'll think twice before driving your way again.'

Bless their little hearts, the Republicans figured they'd make an early stand against the popular president, just to let Obama know Republicans won't be pushovers. They not only played defense, they tried to clean his clock. (Ok, no more basketball analogies.)

A couple issues, however... The bill still passed. As many of Michael Jordan's opponents learned, playing defense wasn't enough to ensure a win. (Ok.. ok... I couldn't resist one more.)

One other thing... they were opposing solutions for the future with arguments from the past. They opined that the bill consisted of wasteful spending rather than tax cuts. Once again, they told us that only tax cuts will rescue us from this disaster. The danger is in including unemployment insurance for all those Americans who lose their jobs in this economy. We don't need social programs. They are only a drag on the American economy.

Is it just me, or haven't we heard these arguments before? Isn't this the vehicle that took us straight into this ditch? Didn't Republicans promise us that a sole diet of tax cuts was the path to financial health? And didn't it end in the spectacular failure we now endure?

If we learned anything during the last eight years, it's that the Right won't be deterred by reality as long as they clutch to their core "principles." Slogans over substance all over again.

Here we are...a tad more than a week after a resounding repudiation of those "principles" and Republicans are still resisting based on the same failed theories.

Sometimes I'm glad they don't learn from their mistakes.