In the face of the Obama/Congressional Democrats’ stimulus package, Congressional Republicans had little choice.  A vote for the package would inevitably be defined as a victory for the President and his bipartisan conciliation, not as a demonstration of Republican willingness to come to the table.  Beyond that, it would alienate the partisans still standing behind Republican incumbents, now largely limited to the most conservative of constituencies, and possibly stunt fundraising for Republican incumbents who might then face primary challenges from the right.  A vote against the Obama plan, however, carries with it only the possibility of being labeled “obstructionist,” a moniker most Republican incumbents would be unhampered by, and the ability to say “I told you so,” should the economy fail to turn the corner by mid-late 2010.  Thus, Republicans faced a simple choice.  That choice, however, could ultimately prove meaningless, as recent polling data suggests Republicans have precious few avenues for escaping their present political marginalization.

Yesterday’s New York Times/CBS poll highlights the rock behind Republicans’ backs, and the hard place hovering just beyond their noses.  A majority in both parties stated that Republicans opposed Obama’s stimulus package on political, not policy, ground, and that President Obama was “striving to work in a bipartisan way.”  Most said they expected years to pass before significant economic improvement became evident, another boon to the President, and to the prospects of his party in the 2010 elections should the economy be showing few signs of a turnaround.  With an approval rating of 63% and roughly 75% saying the President is making good on his promise to bring bipartisanship to Washington, Obama is sitting pretty.  Congressional Republicans, on the other hand, are viewed by 70% of respondents as acting in a bipartisan manner.

The long and short of it is that no matter what Republicans do right now, they can’t win.  To hop aboard with Obama would win no new votes and could possibly lose some, while nay votes promote the already prevalent perception that Republicans are playing politics with millions of Americans’ economic welfare on the line.  Damned if you do, damned if you don’t.  It’s a bad time to be a Republican on Capitol Hill.

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