However, in his recent State of the Union Address, President Obama voiced his intent to inspire bipartisan action. He called for "a bipartisan Fiscal Commission, modeled on a proposal by Republican Judd Gregg and Democrat Kent Conrad." In his latest efforts of bipartisanship, the President has proposed a bipartisan summit on health care to hear the concerns of both sides. While conservative pundits have been quick to denounce the offer as a "trap," the effort by the President is a necessary and welcome step forward in a climate of political divide.
The use and the threat of use of the filibuster in the Senate has grown to uncontrollable levels. Originally instituted by accident when the Senate voted that they didn't need to vote to vote (think about it), the filibuster has become, in reality, a tyranny of the minority. Instead of a simple majority of 51, the Senate is restricted by the "magic number" of 60 seats to be filibuster-proof.
In addition to the constant threat of filibuster, the ultra-conservative Tea Party movement has jeopardized partisan politics by exacerbating the repercussions for voting outside of party lines. For instance, John McCain recently voted against a bill that he co-sponsored "that would have formed a task force on the deficit to try to force tough choices on Congress." Facing a challenge from a Tea-Party sponsored candidate in his upcoming Senate race, McCain was forced to vote against his own bill so as to not alienate potential voters.
With any hope, the upcoming health care summit will be able to reconcile both issues of the health care bill and broader issues of partisanship. As President Obama annunciated in his State of the Union, "We were sent here to serve our citizens, not our ambitions. So let's show the American people that we can do it together."
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| The Apparent Trap | ||||
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