Bipartisanship...

[Average Joe]

Bipartisanship...


I hear that term over and over from the Democrats. I keep hearing that the Democrats are trying to be bipartisan and the Republicans are blocking them at every turn. I heard it again in the Democratic Response the other night.

Can someone give me just one example where the Democrats have attempted to be bipartisan?

[MadScot]

The ban on torture
The patient bill of rights
Conformation of Justice Roberts
McCain, Feingold: Campaign Reform Act
Specter, Leahy Asbestos Bill
The list goes on and on.
The truth of the matter here Joe is that the Republicans do not have an overwhelming majority even Alito was comfirmed with bipartisan support. Republicans want to portray Democrats as obstructionists if this were really true you would be seeing filibusters on a regular basis and that has not been the case. I think the question you really need to ask is why Bush has had so much trouble pushing his neo-con agenda. There are Republicans who still have the best interest of the country at heart. The Democrats didn't stop Harriet from getting a vote she withdrew/got blocked under pressure from conservatives in the Republican party. There are some undeniable facts here.
Both parties have acted in an obstructionist manner on many subjects.
Both parties have acted in a bipartisan manner on many subjects.

Polls show people are not happy with Congress as low as Bush poll numbers are Congress has even less favorable numbers for both parties.

We really need a third party to break up the 50+ majority and force these people to work together. Sadly we continue with the devil you know logic that has gotten us where we are. If it were up to me we would vote them all out of office and start with a new crop.

I'm not saying they are all corrupt. Term limit laws have been stuck down by the courts as unconstitutional. How to stop the corruption is a huge problem how to protect everyones right to express their grievences and at the same time stop people from buying policy. Private campaign funding makes a mockery of the one man one vote concept yet public funding has some major flaws including who decides who gets money. Maybe the answer is some combination of the two. All major sports now have a salary cap how about a cap on campaign spending.

One thing is for certain the handwriting is on the wall. For the first time since the great depression we had a negative savings rate. The number of unemployed adults continues to rise. The middle class has been getting slowly bled dry over the last 30 years. The President denounces isolationism days after Ford anounces more sweeping job cuts and Dell anounces hiring more people in India. I don't see anyone screaming we should isolate ourselves but protecting us goes further than just protecting us from terrorists it means protecting our jobs too.

[Average Joe]

I agree, both sides are to blame. Who is MOSTLY to blame ebbs and flows, but in general it's both sides. I just wish I could get all of them in a room and tell them they're acting like idiots and wasting precious time and money when the US could be moving forward.


As far as the address the other night, I heard this from Bush as well as the response. I don't think it's just Democrats saying it. "Our government is polarized", and while this may be nothing new, it seems to have developed into significant obstructionism.

[MadScot]

Problem is there are vastly different viewpoints on what moving forward is.