lily
12-15-2007, 01:21 AM
I'd say it's time to stop playing games.........but it seems that's how Wasnington works! (http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/12/13/AR2007121301457.html?hpid=opinionsbox1)
Plan B For Pelosi And Reid
By E. J. Dionne Jr.
Friday, December 14, 2007; Page A39
Congressional Democrats need a Plan B.
Republicans chortle as they block Democratic initiatives -- and accuse the
majority of being unable to govern. Rank-and-filers are furious that their
leaders can't end the Iraq war. President Bush sits back and vetoes at will.
Worse, Democrats are starting to blame each other, with those in the House
wondering why their Senate colleagues don't force Republicans to engage in
grueling, old-fashioned filibusters. Instead, the GOP kills bills by coming
up with just 41 votes. Senators defend themselves by saying that their House
colleagues don't understand how the august "upper" chamber works these days.
If Bush's strategy is to drag Congress down to his low level of public
esteem, he is succeeding brilliantly. A Post-ABC News poll released this
week found that only 33 percent of Americans approved of Bush's handling of
his job -- and just 32 percent felt positively about Congress's performance.
The only comfort for Democrats: The public dislikes Republicans in Congress
(32 percent approval) even more than it dislikes congressional Democrats (40
percent approval).
The Democrats' core problem is that they have been unable to place blame for
gridlock where it largely belongs, on the Republican minority and the
president.
In an ideal world, Democrats would pass a lot of legislation that Bush would
either have to sign or veto. The president would have to take responsibility
for his choices. The House has passed many bills, but the Republican
minority has enormous power in the Senate to keep the legislation from
getting to the president's desk. This creates the impression that action is
being stalled through some vague and nefarious congressional "process."
Not only can a minority block action in the Senate, but the Democrats'
nominal one-vote majority is frequently not a majority at all. A few
maverick Democrats often defect, and the party runs short-handed when Sens.
Joe Biden, Hillary Clinton, Chris Dodd and Barack Obama are off running for
president.
And Bush is learning that even when bills reach his desk, he can veto them
with near impunity. On Wednesday, Bush issued his second veto of a bill to
extend coverage under the State Children's Health Insurance Program to 10
million kids. Democrats have the high ground on the issue and more than
two-thirds support in the Senate, but the bill lacks a veto-proof House
majority.
After Bush vetoed the first version of the SCHIP bill, Democrats changed it
slightly to make it more attractive to Republicans. And the new version
passed both houses, too. When Bush vetoed the SCHIP measure again, almost
nobody paid attention. The Post ran a three-paragraph story on the corner of
Page A18; the New York Times ran a longer story -- on Page A29.
Democrats can't even get credit for doing the right thing. If Congress and
Bush don't act, the alternative minimum tax -- originally designed to affect
only Americans with very high incomes -- will raise taxes on about 20
million middle- and upper-middle-class people for whom it was never
intended.
Democrats want to protect those taxpayers but also to keep their
pay-as-you-go promise to offset new spending or tax cuts with tax increases
or program cuts elsewhere. They would finance AMT relief with $50 billion in
new taxes on the very wealthiest Americans or corporations. The Republicans
say no, just pass the AMT fix.
Here's a guarantee: If the Democrats fail to pass AMT relief, they will be
blamed for raising taxes on the middle class. If they pass it without the
tax increase, deficit hawks will accuse them of selling out.
What's the alternative to internecine Democratic finger-pointing of the sort
that made the front page of yesterday's Post? The party's congressional
leaders need to do whatever they have to do to put this year behind them.
Then they need to stop whining. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate
Majority Leader Harry Reid should put aside any ill feelings and use the
Christmas break to come up with a joint program for 2008.
They could start with the best ideas from their presidential candidates in
areas such as health care, education, cures for the ailing economy and
poverty reduction. Agree to bring the same bills to a vote in both houses.
Try one more time to change the direction of Iraq policy. If Bush and the
Republicans block their efforts, bring all these issues into the campaign.
Let the voters break the gridlock.
If Democrats don't make the 2008 election about the Do-Nothing Republicans,
the GOP has its own ideas about whom to hold responsible for Washington's
paralysis. And if House and Senate Democrats waste their time attacking each
other, they will deserve any blame they get next fall.
Plan B For Pelosi And Reid
By E. J. Dionne Jr.
Friday, December 14, 2007; Page A39
Congressional Democrats need a Plan B.
Republicans chortle as they block Democratic initiatives -- and accuse the
majority of being unable to govern. Rank-and-filers are furious that their
leaders can't end the Iraq war. President Bush sits back and vetoes at will.
Worse, Democrats are starting to blame each other, with those in the House
wondering why their Senate colleagues don't force Republicans to engage in
grueling, old-fashioned filibusters. Instead, the GOP kills bills by coming
up with just 41 votes. Senators defend themselves by saying that their House
colleagues don't understand how the august "upper" chamber works these days.
If Bush's strategy is to drag Congress down to his low level of public
esteem, he is succeeding brilliantly. A Post-ABC News poll released this
week found that only 33 percent of Americans approved of Bush's handling of
his job -- and just 32 percent felt positively about Congress's performance.
The only comfort for Democrats: The public dislikes Republicans in Congress
(32 percent approval) even more than it dislikes congressional Democrats (40
percent approval).
The Democrats' core problem is that they have been unable to place blame for
gridlock where it largely belongs, on the Republican minority and the
president.
In an ideal world, Democrats would pass a lot of legislation that Bush would
either have to sign or veto. The president would have to take responsibility
for his choices. The House has passed many bills, but the Republican
minority has enormous power in the Senate to keep the legislation from
getting to the president's desk. This creates the impression that action is
being stalled through some vague and nefarious congressional "process."
Not only can a minority block action in the Senate, but the Democrats'
nominal one-vote majority is frequently not a majority at all. A few
maverick Democrats often defect, and the party runs short-handed when Sens.
Joe Biden, Hillary Clinton, Chris Dodd and Barack Obama are off running for
president.
And Bush is learning that even when bills reach his desk, he can veto them
with near impunity. On Wednesday, Bush issued his second veto of a bill to
extend coverage under the State Children's Health Insurance Program to 10
million kids. Democrats have the high ground on the issue and more than
two-thirds support in the Senate, but the bill lacks a veto-proof House
majority.
After Bush vetoed the first version of the SCHIP bill, Democrats changed it
slightly to make it more attractive to Republicans. And the new version
passed both houses, too. When Bush vetoed the SCHIP measure again, almost
nobody paid attention. The Post ran a three-paragraph story on the corner of
Page A18; the New York Times ran a longer story -- on Page A29.
Democrats can't even get credit for doing the right thing. If Congress and
Bush don't act, the alternative minimum tax -- originally designed to affect
only Americans with very high incomes -- will raise taxes on about 20
million middle- and upper-middle-class people for whom it was never
intended.
Democrats want to protect those taxpayers but also to keep their
pay-as-you-go promise to offset new spending or tax cuts with tax increases
or program cuts elsewhere. They would finance AMT relief with $50 billion in
new taxes on the very wealthiest Americans or corporations. The Republicans
say no, just pass the AMT fix.
Here's a guarantee: If the Democrats fail to pass AMT relief, they will be
blamed for raising taxes on the middle class. If they pass it without the
tax increase, deficit hawks will accuse them of selling out.
What's the alternative to internecine Democratic finger-pointing of the sort
that made the front page of yesterday's Post? The party's congressional
leaders need to do whatever they have to do to put this year behind them.
Then they need to stop whining. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate
Majority Leader Harry Reid should put aside any ill feelings and use the
Christmas break to come up with a joint program for 2008.
They could start with the best ideas from their presidential candidates in
areas such as health care, education, cures for the ailing economy and
poverty reduction. Agree to bring the same bills to a vote in both houses.
Try one more time to change the direction of Iraq policy. If Bush and the
Republicans block their efforts, bring all these issues into the campaign.
Let the voters break the gridlock.
If Democrats don't make the 2008 election about the Do-Nothing Republicans,
the GOP has its own ideas about whom to hold responsible for Washington's
paralysis. And if House and Senate Democrats waste their time attacking each
other, they will deserve any blame they get next fall.