Post-Partisan Depression

People talk about a bipartisan agreement on health care as if it's the highest goal. We had an election in 2008, and the Democrats won the presidency and significant majorities in the House and the Senate. The notion that those of us who won the election with a solid majority should compromise 50/50 with those who lost; well, then, why not randomly choose sides? Why not just make it a game like a color war at summer camp? Why have elections?

For other thoughts following the President's speech, see my recent interview with Rachel Maddow:

Comments

[Wayne1ea]

Barney Frank of course is right yet again. I have to hand it to him, He can take a beating from the Right Wing and still manage to come out on top.

[alfatu]

That said, Rep. Frank, please go ahead and school the rest of your democratic colleagues so that you all can go ahead and pass the health reform bill! Do what your constituents sent you to do. This is why we have a two party system and not a one party system. If we wanted to agree on everything this wouldn't be so. They will never give you the go-ahead; so go ahead and pass the bill -- without them. It is what is is - majority rules!

[john88]

isn't Frank the chairman of the House Financial Services Committee, so when he is saying that our government was some how responsible for the financial service meltdown is he not somehow responsible him self? where was congress? where was pelosi? Oh yea, frank was doing an interview on Bravo, give me a break Barney, time for you to move on...

[ron46032]

I'm good with that. Just remember that you guys can't complain when the tables turn. I remember how much complaining was done after Bush was elected with Republican majorities in Congress. Also, remember that when 2010 turns into a resurgence of Republicans in Congress.

Please note that Congress can over-ride the President's veto when they have enough votes. What ever can be done can be undone.

[bigmacha]

I agree - we won the election so when is the majority that we elected going to act that way and get it done! Bill Maher is right when asks when is the sane 70% of the population going to get what it wants. I'm sick and tired of the repugs and their racist crazies dominating the news cycle and winning their way. I did not vote for Glen Beck and the rest of the faux crew. stop acting like a bunch of wusses.

Get a pair and get it done!

Bipartisanship be damned. If you don't do it now you will relegate the sane citizens of this country to 2nd citizenship; not tomention that we will be the laughing stock of the world.

[tmaxPA]

To have a "majority" in the Senate, where are Founding Fathers (helped by the infamous Senator Filli and Senator Buster) seem to have purposefully created an obstructionist body, you need a super-majority. It all comes down to Senators from less populated states being low-hanging fruit for business influences. The Constitution requires we tolerate this; it does not require that we be ignorant of it.

[Lego87]

What is Maher basing 70% of the country on? Im confused. Bush's poor approval?

[rini]

I'm sure that representative Frank has been told this many times over, but I have to repeat it after reading his post.

His last name is extremely appropriate. We need more people like Mr. Frank in government. The time for compromise with those who would sacrifice the well being of the American people is over.

[Tim303]

Good writing.

[Dena Pavlovic]

Barney Frank is one of my new favorite people. He makes me smile!

[zoe27]

He had me at "What planet..." a few weeks ago.

[Dena Pavlovic]

God-I loved how he stood up against that women in the town hall. Dining room table! And then Stephen Colbert had an interview with the table.

You'd never think he'd be the spine of the democrats-but he's making his case lately.

[RedSoxGator]

Republicans version of being bipartisan:

Let the Democrats be bi and we'll be partisan.

[kleetus99]

why are you asking us that, Mr. Frank? Thats the kind of question that we look to you to answer. we certainly didnt vote for a fifty fifty split. in fact when i voted for Obama, I was hoping that I was voting to make republicans irrellevant for awhile. I was looking forward to the mental vacation from worrying about right wing shennanigans. now it seems worse than ever. so what exactly did I vote for?

[LordByron13]

You voted for change, when Obama was clearly sending signals down the campaign trail that he would be a 'centrist' "leader".

Yes, I have a problem with him. Especially when he gave the impression he would FIGHT for us... then he rolls over on FISA*, and gave GM the bankruptcy he said was 'not an option'.

GM deserved to get the money it needed, in return for concession­s...bring back the EV1 and get to developin' some cars people need.

FISA, was more about principal. Look, he spent most of his campaign saying FISA didn't need changing. Then, not only did he change his mind...wit­h OUT telling his supporters what he was doing...bu­t, he voted 'No' first, then turned right around before the ink was dry and voted 'Yes'.

I voted for Change Mr. Pres. Doing EXACTLY what you accused your peers of doing, is not change.

Please, get back to work, ignore ALL republicans and get the job done!

[CaScientist]

If Rep Frank is on the side of, and standing with his House Progressive Caucus colleauges, and refuses to vote yea on any bill that does not contain true reform....­then I firmly support him. ANY House member that does not do so is nothing more than a collusionist like Wilson.

[Joe The Nerd Ferraro - Huffpost Blogger]

Representative Frank - a rhetorical question - if we have essentially a 60/40 split in the Senate why is the Gang of 6 a 3 to 3 split?

[ncmom54]

yea... I'd like to know about that too.

[SorenB]

Because they didn't want to do anything..­.. this just gives them a good excuse.

[tmaxPA]

$$$

Don't act stupid.

[RedSoxGator]

Probably because splitting 6 people up to equal a 60-40 split would be tremendously painful and incredibly bloody as well.

[CRMurray]

hehe excellent!

[oldguydude]

Barney's not good with math. That's why he's on the Banking and Finance Committee and he's done such a fine job there.

Asleep at the switch still.

[ron46032]

Please understand that BO didn't win with a 60/40 split of the population. There were several people who where upset with Bush which is why the Dems ran away with the election. This is good. They only way to get your point across to a politician is to fire them by not voting for them.

However, there is a growing eruption with the American people who are ferociously against these BO policies. This will also translate into a large over turning of the electorate in 2010. I hope that you will remember your words when the shoe is on the other foot.

[medici]

Republicans say they want to be bi-partisan, then they put up roadblocks at every program they can. Democrats should go it alone. That's the only way anything will get done.

[noneIn2008]

Why not reject the two party facade and throw out all incumbents. Let's have a 10 party system where the people have more of a say than the special interests. The politicians now work for the DNC or RNC, not the people. With Congress split across 10 parties, coalitions would need to be formed and compromises made instead of blind adherence to RNC or DNC dictates. Term limits will be a start.

[TLV]

The anti-government types are working on that - or so they say. They declare that they have no alliances until it's voting time. Then they all rush to vote for GOPers. Liars to the end.

[SorenB]

Last election independents voted for the Dems, but then found out that they had no guts... sadly the Repubs had no brains, so it was the least ugly choice.

[lj9283]

Two Political Parties are best for the Main Stream media, so they control access by the candidates to the media outlets.

[wetshoes]

I think we should recognize reality and give banks and chemical and drug companies their own senators. Maybe they get to pick 50 senators any way they want and us ordinary people get to pick the other 50 without a dime of corporate money involved. Then all we need to do is pick off one industry to be on our side on a given issue and we can pass stuff.

[SorenB]

Well first off it might make it 10 times more expensive for corporations to bribe everyone..­. ;-)

[PatForObama]

You just described the political structures nations like Sweden, Germany, France, etc.: those terr!ble social!st countries that have the some of the best health care systems in the world. Some can also throw out the government and start over (Israel for one.) Term limits, oh yeah, as long as we get real campaign finance reform so that election budgets don't surpass the GNP of several small countries.

[laurenc]

John Edwards was the only democrat in the primary who was willing to fight, and he said so early and often. then obama and clinton started copying his rhetoric. then prominent dems started listening to their teenage kids...the­n every male blogger on huffpo started gushing about obama...an­d now we have who we have.

Don't pontificate about JRE....the point is he offered a willingness to take on established power, while Obama offered glamor and vague platitudes. and now we have who we have.

[TLV]

Glamour? That's a load.

Barack Obama is a no-nonsense, level-headed man who said that everything he was about to take on as President would take a lot of time, a lot of hard work, and would be messy. You should have listened to the man, not those who lied on a daily basis about what he said.

[Pupadup4oBama]

John Edwards might have been for the common man, but as soon as his affair became public knowledge, he became null and void. That scandal would have followed him the rest of his presidency and you know it. It would have been Clinton redux. We couldn't afford the distractions.

[LordByron13]

Clinton and Obama 'copying' Edwards? You MUST be a n00b. If anything, Obama and Edwards, copied Clinton. Only thing Obama forgot was to copy her tenacity.

Sure, its going to take some time. No rational person would think it would be done over night. But, then again, no rational person would lengthen the timetable by dealing with brokers who deal in bad faith.

Its not just about getting it done, and being respectable. Its about the Republican party, stringing him along letting him think he'll have that elusive bi-partisanship he always wanted.

Hello, Obama, we're sinking here....'l­il help huh?

[SorenB]

You believed John Edwards? I thought I was a sucker because I believed in Obama... but that is too funny!