The withdrawal of Republican Senator Judd Gregg from consideration for President Obama’s cabinet is the most telling indication of where the GOP’s motive’s lie these days. As promised, Obama has reached out in the spirit of co-operation to conservatives and sadly, his open hand has been met by the proverbial clenched fist.

Gregg’s sudden inability to deal with the realities of serving in an Obama Administration have nothing to do with the census issue or even the stimulus package itself. No, the withdrawal that “blind-sided” Obama yesterday came from the arrogance and stupidity of the Republican party and their willingness to put their own political identity crisis ahead of what’s good for the country. Blogger Andrew Sullivan hits this issue square on the head:

“This much is now clear. Their clear and open intent is to do all they can, however they can, to sabotage the new administration (and the economy to boot). They want failure. Even now. Even after the last eight years. Even in a recession as steeply dangerous as this one. There are legitimate debates to be had; and then there is the cynicism and surrealism of total political war. We now should have even less doubt about what kind of people they are. And the mountain of partisan vitriol Obama will have to climb every day of the next four or eight years.”

All politics has changed. Gone are the days when those elected to government are willing to set aside their party differences for the good of the rest of us. Some individuals, like President Obama, have noble ideals and hope that co-operation can be a reality. The problem is that when you have a conservative party that has just had their asses handed to them for the second straight election cycle, they tend to dig in and bare for a brawl instead of doing what’s right.

The majority of the country thinks the stimulus package is the right move for the economy. The majority of the country voted in Barack Obama as President because they were sick and tired of the fiscal irresponsibility, the foreign wars of choice, the lies and the rose colored glasses. When President Obama treats us like adults and tells us like it is, the GOP screams “fearmonger!”. They pray for Obama and everything he stands for (which includes you and your economic well-being) to fail so that they can once again return to power. They call names and claim that not wearing a jacket in the Oval Office is “disrespectful” of the Presidency. Funny how a dress code can disrespect the Constitution more than 8 years of Bush’s lies, cronyism, ethics scandals and disregard for the rule of law.

If the current economy wasn’t so dire, the GOP’s behavior would almost be laughable. They have chosen to find their collective spines now, just 8 years too late for the rest of us. Spend a trillion dollars in Iraq? No problem! Spend 700 billion here at home on you and yours? Out of the question. If Republicans want to commit political suicide, that’s their business but stay the hell away from the rest of us. We voted you out for a reason, and the message on the ballot was pretty fraking clear. I don’t expect you to drop your role as the opposition party but the GOP’s antics aren’t opposition, they are obstruction, pure and simple. So when it comes to the safety, and financial security of every single American, you can either get on board or get the hell out of the way. It’s up to you.

UPDATE: Republicans could have gone a long way toward healing the political vitriol that exists in Washington by at least attempting to compromise on some of President Obama’s proposals. But as Think Progress reports they are having none of it. The GOP’s quest to put their petty political faces front and center has only served to steel the new administration against them. I dare suspect the same can be said for the American people as well.