The next time you hear the word "bipartisan," think coward. If no one notices, word substitution can be a very effective persuasion device. Someone says to you, "You're stubborn," and you reply, "I am persistent." It's a useful technique and can be a respectable one -- but not when used to manipulate and lie to the American people.
It's clever. You have to give those touting bipartisanship credit. After all who -- especially liberals -- can be against cooperation and working together? Isn't there supposed to be something wrong with people who debate and argue when they could cooperate?
Yet, it doesn't take a genius to see that the country is being sold to the wealthiest of the conservatives. What's so admirable about cooperating with that?
PBS commentators Mark Shields and David Brooks were in agreement Friday about one thing: The Democrats and the president have certainly been far from bold. They've failed to seize "the Sputnik moment," as Shields put it. To which Brooks added: "The fierce urgency of now turned into the fierce urgency of whenever."
Women's reproductive rights are on the chopping block, governors are lining up to abolish labor's ability to negotiate working conditions, corporations have obtained the rights of private citizens, and the ultra-wealthy have gotten a cheap deal on two more years of low tax rates. Now the same crowd is turning up the volume on its crude pitch that trying to protect Social Security for current and future generations is somehow selfish -- that those protecting it are stealing from future generations.
You have to wonder if the Democrats have no shame. Few of them seem to have any guts. Why aren't they shouting that the deficit was largely created by the GWB administration? Therefore Republicans should be cleaning up the mess before we start impoverishing future retirees?
Here's an option. All Republicans and Democrats in favor of cutting Social Security should first renounce all their federal retirement benefits. That should save taxpayers a bundle. And it would put the onus of one part of deficit reduction on the backs of the people who really deserve it.
How about the Democratic Party demanding that? But they can't seem get a word in edgewise around the likes of Palin, Limbaugh and Beck. Do they lack a repertoire of effective responses? Are they left with little or nothing to say, even in the face of overt hypocrisy? Perhaps the Democrats aren't colorful enough for us to listen to them -- perhaps they're actually just boring people.
Nah. I'm going to go with chicken. Too many of them lack the courage of their convictions.
They blustered in the heady days before Obama was elected. It was compelling -- briefly. Now most act like cowards, feathering their own nests and those of their Republican buddies.
At a time when the world is riveted by the courage of protesters, our so-called leaders are giving away the farm that generations of working Americans purchased with their own blood and treasure. Tell me how that makes them anything other than cowards? Where's the voice we gave them with our votes? Where's their rage? Where's their indignation?
Kathleen also blogs at Comebacks at Work and is on Twitter @comebackskid
Follow Kathleen Reardon on Twitter: www.twitter.com/@comebackskid
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bipartisanship
also this out of there.
"Additionally, the concept of bipartisanship has been criticized as discouraging agreements between more than two parties, thus exercising a tyranny of the majority by forcing voters to side with one of the two largest parties."
I believe in ppl trying to get along. As you said in the story thou im wondering myself why are the dems not speaking up.
Plannedparenthood cuts?That means more cancer being caught late. Woman taking a step back in time.
Where are our woman dems we voted in?
Did no one see "The Kings speech"That took the oscars home?
Ive quoted it many times.
"Because I have a Voice"
Maybe we the ppl and the Dems need to find ours?
Why aren't they shouting this at every opportunity ?
I know I'm missing the game plan somewhere...can someone please enlighten me ? Seriously ?
I will never understand why Obama isn't shouting from the rooftops "that the deficit was largely created by the GWB administration? Therefore Republicans should be cleaning up the mess before we start impoverishing future retirees?"
Why hasn't he ?
shame would assume the possibility of a soul - of a conscience............
nope they sold their souls to the devil long ago for money..............and power..............
they could give a ratt's about anyone else, the American Dream, or the planet.............
appealing to their "better angels" will never work. 2x4 upside the head is the only way to
get their attention, but they will never change their minds. did you get that? they wil
never change their minds. they will never admit they are wrong. ever. and they will
never agree with anything that is not their idea. they need to be voted out, sooooo
thoroughly that even faux news would have to use the word " obliterate" to describe the
magnitude of the defeat.
(i know but an old lady can dream)
But you are right, Kathleen, very few of our elected officials have any courage. They are looking out of the rich (which includes themselves).
Our current president is the biggest disappointment of a president that I have seen in my lifetime. I mean, we knew what we were getting with Dubya. Obama promised "hope and change."
It's all so depressing...
You know as well as anybody, the real problem with Congress and it's lack of shame is it's source of campaign funding. They dont want to upset thier corporate masters anymore then needed to maintain the illusion of a 2 party system.
The Republicans need an attitude adjustment. However, Democrats and the unions need a reality check as well.
The deficit resulted from greed and that greed was not exclusive to one interest group or one segment of the population or one party. Given the magnitude of our financial circumstances and the need to achieve some level of social equity, the solution will need to be painful for all sides.
Take the time to click on this piece and read it. A lot of wisdom there...
All this investment was to protect pensions and the annual salary increases that are still being dished out even though the city as a whole faces budget shortfalls. In the same election, city employee unions contributed $40,000 to pass a half-percent increase in our sales tax because existing tax revenues aren't meeting the cost of pension payments.
Common citizens don't contribute sizable sums during city elections but the employee unions sure do. They have a vested interest and, so far, their investments have paid off very well.
Good luck. It's a global society, and if we go, they'll go with us.