OUT of power and out of favor, the Republicans must choose: work with a popular new president who is seeking their input or set themselves apart by opposing his economic rescue plan and pray that doesn't backfire. So far, it's been a touch of both. Barack Obama, the country's charismatic new president, is riding a wave of popularity at home and abroad. He acted swiftly and firmly at a time when Americans are traumatized by the worst economic crisis in 80 years and fighting wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. America's conservative talk-radio commentator, Rush Limbaugh, didn't even wait for Obama to be sworn in before he said he hoped the new Democratic president's agenda would fail. “Somebody's gotta say it,” he said in a broadcast days before Obama was inaugurated. So far, Republican legislators have been more diplomatic in their opposition than Limbaugh. But attacking the president when Americans are hurting financially is dangerous. It is a fine line between playing the loyal opposition and standing in the way of an economic recovery. But playing the correct role delicately could help them pull a battered, fractured party together around its historic beliefs. “They have to be clear what they stand for. They have to be clear and willing to go down fighting,” said Michael Frank, of the conservative Heritage Foundation. The Democratic president has made that difficult by rejecting “politics as usual,” appointing Republicans to top spots in his Cabinet and courting the support of the opposition for his $800 billion plus stimulus package. This despite the fact that he probably will not need Republican votes to get it through Congress as his party has the majority in both chambers. The stimulus passed in the House of Representatives last week, but not one Republican voted for it. Still, they praised Obama for going to the Capitol and seeking their input. “I think we both share a sincere belief that we have to have a plan that works,” House Republican leader John Boehner said at the time. “The president is sincere in wanting to work with us, wanting to hear our ideas and find some common ground.” Republicans are not entirely without power. The Supreme Court remains conservative following several appointments by previous Republican administrations, and while in the minority, Senate Republicans still have the power to block legislation through procedural tactics. Still, attacking Obama now is a tricky proposition. Also working against them is the historic value of Obama's presidency _ America's first black chief executive _ his popularity, and the fact that this administration is exceptional in both style and substance. The Republicans had their chance Tuesday, arguably the worst day of Obama's young presidency, when his nominee to be health and human services secretary withdrew with problems over back taxes and potential conflicts of interest _ the third Obama nominee to be caught up in a controversy over unpaid taxes. But Obama appeared to disarm critics by promptly dropping the nominee in question, Tom Daschle, admitting in a series of television interviews that “I screwed up,” and moving on. So far, a Republican strategy has been to engage with Obama, and blame Democratic legislators for the failure to reach an agreement on the stimulus. Republicans “know this administration is formidable. They know its unprecedented. So they've got some scary waters to navigate,” said Penni Pier, a political analyst at Wartburg College in Iowa. Now might be a time to redefine what Republicans believe in, as they strive to stay relevant after their drubbing at the polls in November and the lingering unpopularity of their one-time leader, former president George W. Bush. Democrats are on the move, attracting newly energized young voters drawn to Obama's message of change, and building power in traditionally Republican regions in the US West and South. At the same time, fewer and fewer voters are willing to declare themselves Republicans. “The Republican Party needs to do some work repackaging and reinventing itself, in particular targeting new groups of voters,” said Kate Knutson, assistant professor of political science at Gustavus Adolphus College in Minnesota. Among them: women, Hispanics, blacks, youths. Last week's election of moderate politician Michael Steele as the Republican Party's first black chairman appeared to be a move in that direction. The conservative Republican base must not be ignored either; witness the continued massive audiences that listen to Limbaugh. It is partly because of them that voting against the stimulus package won't be hard for senators from fiscally conservative districts. Also, it's a huge amount of money, and its cost climbed above $900 billion this week as senators amended the package. “There are lots of pockets in the country where (Obama) is not popular at all, and we tend to forget that,” Knutson said.
