Is Bipartisanship Dead? Was it Ever Alive?
Sen. Susan Collins of Maine had a very interesting op-ed piece in the Washington Post yesterday. In it, she pondered a simple question – in this day and age, is the thought of both sides of the aisle working together all but lost? Has the political process been too poisoned, not only by both sides attacking each other, but by those inside each party attacking their so-called moderate members?
Collins points out that there used to be an unwritten rule that members of the Senate did not campaign against a fellow member, no matter the party.
When I was a freshman senator in 1997, Sen. John Chafee of Rhode Island, as fine a gentleman as has ever graced the Senate chamber, advised me never to campaign against those with whom I served. The Senate is too small a place for that, he counseled. Campaign for your fellow Republicans and go to states with open seats, but do not campaign against your Democratic colleagues. It will poison your relationship with them.
Back then, most senators followed the “Chafee rule,” but that soon changed. Now many enthusiastically campaign against their colleagues across the aisle. I was shocked when, in 2008, two Democratic senators came to Maine and unfairly criticized my work during my highly competitive race that year. My willingness to work with Democrats had been well established over the past decade, and there was no one running that year with more bipartisan legislative initiatives and accomplishments than I had. But that didn’t stop them.
She also touts the “Group of 14” that organized to ensure that most of W’s judicial nominees got an “up or down” vote; the alternative was for the Republican leadership to use the “nuclear option” – getting rid of the filibuster, especially on judicial nominees. Unfortunately, some very bad judges were confirmed for lifetime appointments on the bench because of this group.
It’s interesting that she’s now crying about the incivility of the political process and the lack of bipartisanship in the Senate. It wasn’t too long ago that the GOP held all of the power in DC and completely shut out the Democrats. But now that they’re in the minority, they’re claiming that they’re being shut out of the process. Where was Sen. Collins back then when her leadership was refusing to entertain any Democratic amendments to legislation? I guess what was good for the goose is not good for the gander.
It would be nice if the two sides could argue their points, make their proposals, and vote yea or nay on each piece of legislation. But that is wishful thinking. When you have a nitwit like Jim DeMint vowing to shut down the Senate if legislation doesn’t pass his smell test, then there is no hope for compromise. And yes, even though we on the left, and the right, would love to see all of our proposals enacted without having to give in to the other side, that is not reality. Even with the majorities the Democrats, and prior to that the Republicans, enjoyed, making government work for everyone is the art of the compromise. It’s our job to make sure that our leaders don’t lose sight of what we really need to make America work for everyone.
Boohoo for Susan Collins, who put her hurt feelings about Senate procedure above the rights of LGBT to serve openly in the military. I’m pretty sick of politicians who long for the good ol’ days. To me that says we need a newer Senator, one that can handle today’s challenges.
Wonder where Collins was when Frist, et al went to South Dakota to campaign against Tom Daschle?
The filibusters of Obama’s nominees to various parts of government — those aren’t subject to the amendment process and every one is being held up by a repub. And when they get to vote most of them pass overwhelmingly. Has she actually proposed to start a new Gang of 14 to make sure that these nominees get a vote?
And as far as compromise goes — I heard alot of the work ongoing during the ACA effort and ALOT of repub amendments were made and very many of those survive to this day in the bill. Not to the bill’s betterment, mind you, but the process of *bipartisanship* was definitely on display. In fact, repubs got pretty much all they wanted out of this thing without having to vote for it.
Bipartisanship is really hard when your counterparts do not think that Job One is governing. It isn’t as though repubs aren’t even included in conference committees — the way that Dems were excluded in the Frist era.
I could really go on here, but if there is one thing that Republicans are damned good at it is playing the victim. And Susan Collins isn’t being victimized here — her constituents certainly are, however.
And just for fun — have a look at what Republicans think is bipartisanship.
And locally, we have Bonini and Dave Wilson also proudly sporting the “I voted no on everything” badge. Being the party of “no” is not governing, it’s being a spoiled brat who doesn’t give a hoot about one’s constituents.
Bipartisanship, as defined by the Leader Of The Republican Party.
Bonini had a vote? Collins is such a hypocrit. On the issue of health care, three times the Maine legislature sent the single payer health care bill up for vote. Collins never represented her state anymore than corporate democrats supported their citizens. Its coming down to the people hate both parties. They understand both parties have become corporate dominated but the liberals have no recourse to go against the Teabaggers. Everyone sat back while the right wing extremists made their moves. Imagine the House under the control of Mr. Suntan.
Susan Collins is so full shit, it’s comming out of he ears. Where the Hell was her since of bipartisanship when it all took was her vote to end some of the abuses of the filibuster rule committed by her fellow Republicans?
so how does Rich Lott tie his shoes??????
IN LITTLE NAZIS!
is it dead? Hardly. You guys might have missed it but there are plenty of votes out there that they do all vote on together as a whole.
We, the little people, are just caught up in the big distracting bills and miss all the little more important stuff that slides by our myopia.
here is a list of a few of them:
http://projects.washingtonpost.com/congress/111/senate/wide-margins/
so yes, they all get along when it SERVES them to do so. Just like they don’t get along when it SERVES them to do so too.