Does Obama Think Republicans Are Un-American? [UPDATED]

The president, who campaigned on the promise of bringing an end to bitter partisanship, made a highly partisan speech to House Democrats who were on a “retreat” in Williamsburg last night. Politico called that retreat “a partisan love fest.”

In a “fired-up” speech to the House Dems on Thursday night, writes Politico’s Jonathan Martin,

Obama accused his Republican critics of wanting to return to “the same policies that for the last eight years doubled the national debt and threw our economy into a tailspin.”

“I don’t care whether you’re driving a hybrid or an SUV,” he said. “If you’re headed for a cliff, you have to change direction. That’s what the American people called for in November, and that’s what we intend to deliver.”

He had struck the same highly partisan tone the day before in a meeting with Senate Democrats at their retreat, perhaps fittingly at Washington’s Newseum.

He assured his former colleagues that he would reach out to Republicans — but “not at the expense of the American people,” an attendee recalled.

Implying that Republicans are distinct from, and a threat to, “the American people” (including, somehow, the 47% of them who voted Republican in the presidential election) is not a sure path to the promised bi-partisanship.

UPDATE [7 Feb.]

Tom Maguire makes a similar point:

Now Consent Is The Highest Form Of Patriotism?

Here is one more for the “If Bush did this sort of thing Libs leapt from tall buildings” file:

WASHINGTON — Senate Democrats reached an agreement with Republican moderates on Friday to pare a huge economic recovery measure, clearing the way for approval of a package that President Obama said was urgently needed in light of mounting job losses.

The deal, announced on the Senate floor, was a result of two days of tense negotiations and political theater. Mr. Obama dispatched his chief of staff to Capitol Hill to help conclude the talks and reassure senators in his own party, and he called three key Republicans to applaud them for their patriotism.

…Mr. Obama called Ms. Collins and Mr. Specter, as well as Senator Olympia J. Snowe of Maine, another Republican expected to support the deal, to acknowledge they were acting against pressure from their party and, one official said, to thank them for their patriotism in helping advance the bill at a critical time.

Hmm, bill opponents are not patriotic? Or are less patriotic? I know libs will line up to fret about whether Obama ought to be implicitly questioning anyone’s patriotism merely for opposing a particular Administration policy.

Say What?