Partisan bickering

We have heard a lot about partisanship lately. I have been lead to believe that partisanship is wrong. President Obama tells us every day we don't have time for partisan bickering. The stimulus bill he tells us is too important. Too many people are depending on it. To that I say, you have the votes right now, pass it.

Of course the truth is they passed it in the House along party lines. The word on the Hill is that they may have the votes or maybe not in the Senate. With fifty eight Senators from his party and not to have a clear majority, maybe the problem isn't partisanship, it seems to be within his own party. Let words mean what they should. Now lets define what we mean, remember I have written since I started writing this blog that words mean things and we can't come together until we let the same words mean the same things for everyone.

For example the Congress just passed the SCHIP bill to radically expand the popular program for children's health care assistance. The plain truth is President Bush wanted to sign the re authorization last year. He just didn't want the spending levels they wanted. It was dropped by the Democrat controlled Congress who made a judgement that they would be able to get everything they wanted under a new president which they expected to be of their party. Partisan bickering or effective political calculation? You decide that.

Way back in 2003 then President Bush called for stronger regulation Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. He warned us that they were causing future problems because they were lending money irresponsibly. The Democrats teamed up with centrist to left leaning Republicans and stopped the bill. Partisanship, or political execution of their principles? Again you decide.

We have more than one point of view. I have written this continually. This goes back to the Hope and Change argument. Many people simply don't agree with President Obama's prescriptions for what ails us. I think we have good arguments, but that doesn't make us obstructionists. That being said I think it is up to the Republicans to make their arguments to the people. In the past they haven't had too many people that can string together effective sentences to do that. Maybe that will change with Michael Steele as the party chairman. Time will tell.

For today we have a very bad stimulus bill in front of the Senate. It will eventually pass. I believe the job for Republicans is to get as much pork out of it as possible so it will do the least possible harm. If that makes the Republicans partisans, then so be it. Let them wear it as a badge of honor, but explain to us mere mortals why you are stopping it and not let the other side frame the argument. The more the public learns about this bill the less they like it. Good! Let the light of day shine on this abomination and get to work putting in policies that will allow people to invest and spur the economy. Call it a stimulus package if you like but put in pro growth policies and not government give ways.