I think I'm on record all over the internet saying there is no need for President Obama to consult Republicans on anything he wants to do. I say this from a purely political standpoint. Let me explain. In addition to the White House, the Dems control both the Senate and the House by very strong margins. And it's not as if the Repubs just barely lost power, they were overwhelmingly thrown out of power. The American people have rejected the GOP ideology, their agenda and their governance. As president, Obama has every right to do as he wants when it comes to executive power.
Granted someone who runs his campaign on unity and collective burdenship is bound to live up to his stump speeches. No doubt Obama has done such. He dined with right wing "thinkers," and held a dinner in honor of his former opponent John McCain, plus I'm sure in the coming days he'll meet with Republican leaders. The only reason the GOP has any breath in it whatsoever is because Obama has allowed it. Call it class or whatever you like but it's more than any president has done in a very long time to bring the country together. So when I say Obama doesn't need to consult the GOP I mean it from a very political viewpoint. He doesn't need them for anything but he's reaching out to them anyway
Aside from politics I see no reason to consult a Party whose agenda is built around the anciently discarded notion that climate change is a farce and one that is excitedly pro-torture. Take a look at what the GOP is currently doing to prove my point. They are holding up Lisa Jackson's confirmation to the EPA because Jackson believes in a scientifically proven fact that humans are contributing to climate change. They are also holding up Eric Holder's confirmation as Attorney General because he is against torture. Why breathe life into a political party that is as unpopular as it is immoral?
The Democratic movement that President Obama has created should be talking at every possible venue what it is the GOP actually stands for: global pollution and torture. That's why there's no need to consult them on anything, it's like giving credence to someone who believes the Sun revolves around the Earth.
