The Myth of Bipartisanship
Washington politicians seem to always do two things: promise bipartisanship, and block the legislation from their opposite party.
Here, then, is the real definition of bipartisanship, as proposed by the Democrats:
excerpt from http://www.cnn.com/2009/POLITICS/02/10/stimulus.next/
Sen. Charles Schumer, D-New York, insisted Tuesday that Democrats are willing to work in a bipartisan fashion as they proceed with the bill.
“We will do our best to bring more Republicans over to our side. And I hope that happens this week. And we will be open to new suggestions just as we were to $106 billion in suggestions that were added to the bill,” he said. “But we will not — we will not sacrifice the focus of this bill — jobs, tax cuts for the middle class and infrastructure — for anything.”
In addition to reaching a bipartisan agreement and working out differences in the House and Senate, Democrats also have to come to terms within their own party.
February 14th, 2009 at 17:48
Why do we suddenly hear this cry for bipartisanship? If Democrats were so invested in it, why didn’t we see it during the Bush Administration years; why didn’t democrats actively work to forward Bush’s agenda as they now think Republicans shoud do for Obama’s agenda?
I guess it is easy to ask for bipartisan goverment when it is YOUR agenda that is on the table! But if the Democrats were truly interested in working closely with Republicans to forward the country, then we would have seen it in their behavior over the past eight years!
We didn’t and I see no reason why the Republicans should now do it any differently!
February 15th, 2009 at 01:40
So true.
Thanks for your comment!!