President Obama Vs. Rush Limbaugh Republicans in a Game of Chicken?

Is this the winter of President Obama's discontent? Are the defiant Republicans in Congress playing a risky game in the long run? Those two questions dominate the scene in Washington where there are always more questions than easy answers.

For the president, even with his victory in the huge economic stimulus package, his first month in office has been less than stellar.

The vetting process for his team has been seriously flawed. Three potential cabinet members have withdrawn from consideration for tax or ethical problems. The process obviously lacked much depth and ended in embarrassment for all concerned.

Timothy Geithner, the treasury secretary, should have withdrawn his name. As the head of the Internal Revenue Service, a tax delinquent is hardly appropriate. The opposition was handed ammunition for an immediate attack and three dozen votes against confirmation.

Further, Geithner began his difficult task of fixing the woeful banking system with an unconvincing presentation of his plan. The markets plunged in response.

Given the partisan atmosphere for so long in the capital, it was a given that Obama's honeymoon would be brief. He helped out even though he publicly admitted mistakes, something we didn't hear for eight dreary years of the Bush-Cheney team.

True, the president did reach out for GOP support of his nearly $800 billion recovery plan, with little success. But with the Republican thirst for tax cuts and more tax cuts in the package, it was no real surprise. In fact, Republicans in the Senate voted for increased funding in amendments and then voted against the plan on final passage for it being too costly. Go figure.

The loyal opposition tactics in Congress may be smart for the short term but wrong-headed down the line. The GOP leadership must have figured Obama would get most or all of the credit if the plan works, so oppose it and gain the upper hand with voters if it fails.

However, the new president is still a popular figure. Latest polls give him high marks in job performance despite the early mistakes. Republicans have been careful to call him a "nice guy" while savaging his plan.

If the package takes hold along with other pieces of the Obama agenda, the Republicans will be in a poor position for the 2010 off-year elections. The Democrats may increase their current majority in that scenario.

Another concern for the minority is the apparent Republican fear of crossing Rush Limbaugh, who regards himself as the legitimate voice of the party. One Republican member of the House was forced to humiliate himself with an apology to Limbaugh after criticizing him.

If the Republicans follow Limbaugh's lead, they will never be a true national party, as former Gov. Jeb Bush of Florida called for in a Wall Street Journal op-ed. Limbaugh's credentials for leadership are simply hot air.

Still, Obama's leadership is a study in progress. He has to demonstrate he can govern firmly and steadily with or without Republican support.