Has there been too much bipartisanship or too little? - Salon.com

[clear eye]

by Glenn Greenwald

snip: "Whatever else one might want to say about "bipartisanship," there is nothing new about it. By definition, it does not remotely constitute "change." To the contrary, the last eight years have been defined, more than anything else, by overarching bipartisan cooperation and consensus."

snip: "Look at every major Bush initiative, every controversial signature Bush policy over the last eight years, and one finds virtually nothing but massive bipartisan support for them -- the Patriot Act (original enactment and its renewal); the invasion of Afghanistan; the attack on, and ongoing occupation of, Iraq; the Military Commissions Act (authorizing enhanced interrogation techniques, abolishing habeas corpus, and immunizing war criminals); expansions of warrantless eavesdropping and telecom immunity; declaring part of Iran's government to be "terrorists"; our one-sided policy toward Israel; the $700 billion bailout; The No Child Left Behind Act, 'bankruptcy reform,' and on and on.

Most of those were all enacted with virtually unanimous GOP support and substantial, sometimes overwhelming, Democratic support: the very definition of 'bipartisanship.'"

More here: http://www.salon.com/opinion/greenwald/2008/11/18/bipartisanship/index.html

[niceypoo]

1. When the Republicans are in power, they intentionally and blatantly shut out Democrats

When Democrats are in control, the Republicans whine about a need to 'heal' and the Democrats roll out the red carpet for them. The Dems are milquetoast wimps.

[MindPilot]

2. Fuck "bipartisianship". Republicans are not Americans.

Anyone who "works" with a Republican is commiting treason.

[Prophet 451]

3. Depends how you define "bipartisan"

If you define it the way BushCo and his Congress did (i.e. "bipartisan" meaning they don't budge an inch but talk a couple of Dems into signing on to their agenda), way too much. If you define it the old way, as both sides coming to a genuine compromise, too little.