Noted political philosopher Ringo said it best: "I don't ask for much, I only want your trust, And you know it don't come easy... Peace, remember peace is how we make it, Here within your reach If you're big enough to take it..."
Yes, it don't come easy. For those who thought this era of collected national and international crises would instantly transform Washington into a bastion of bipartisanship, vote for Ringo next time. Hard-edged and toxic partisanship is too ingrained within our nation's capital to be quickly scrubbed away. Many Obama-sponsored cocktail parties and dinners will be necessary to graft a spirit of comity among our opposing political leaders.
Moreover, Obama-sponsored management retreats for our leaders may be in order. What a scene: 535 members of Congress at Wintergreen Resort, role-playing, offering critiques, going through trust-building exercises, sharing their inner thoughts and recipes... I say put them all into Primal Scream therapy and let 'er rip!
One of my favorite examples of why bipartisanship is so difficult today lies within the personage of Grover Norquist. For those unfamiliar with Grover, here are two links, one being from his own "think tank":
ATR: Staff: Biography of Grover Norquist
Grover Norquist - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
For a one-trick pony ("less taxes") Grover has wielded huge influence on the Republican party over the last 20 years. He's one of the 800 pound gorillas behind the curtains of Republican thinking. Anyway, here are a couple of favorite quotes of his:
"I don't want to abolish government. I simply want to reduce it to the size where I can drag it into the bathroom and drown it in the bathtub."
and this, speaking of Democrats in 2002:
"Once the minority of House and Senate are comfortable in their minority status, they will have no problem socializing with the Republicans. Any farmer will tell you that certain animals run around and are unpleasant, but when they've been fixed, then they are happy and sedate. They are contented and cheerful. They don't go around peeing on the furniture and such."
Understand that Grover Norquist is one of the Go-To Guys in the Republican Party. When flummoxed by reality, our Republican representatives go to Grover for advice. But "Cut Taxes" and "Screw the Democrats" can only go so far.
An example of the sea change that has shifted political reality came a couple of weeks ago or so on a radio talk show where Grover was one of the guests. It was a forum on the Economic Debacle before us and what to do about it. When his turn came, Grover got on his hobby horse again and claimed that the real reason the economy turned so sour last fall was that the Senate voted to not extend the Bush tax cuts.
There was a stunned silence from the forum audience (from American University). Then disbelieving gales of laughter. Finally another guest spoke up, saying "I'm delighted that Grover Norquist is a part of the panel here today. He offers us all a glimpse into a dying dogma."
But when it's the only dogma ya got, it won't die easily. Until Republicans determine they need to adjust, you'll continue to see Grover Norquist-style political posturing and thinking from Red State Reps. This doesn't mean that Democrats are filled with The Truth (far from it). It just means that Republicans won't be responding to reality until they get another broad spanking by the public. If Obama continues to make his bipartisanship efforts, and Democrats continue trying Big Things, and Republicans respond like they have, the voting public won't be happy - in a national emergency they will vote for the party that is trying to do things, not for those who get in the way.
And today's musical accompaniment is provided by conservative rockers, The Ramones, performing a terrific rant from the classic dumb-movie, "Rock and Roll High School":
YouTube - I'm Against It by the Ramones
Today's Quote of the Day:
"If you want to get along, go along." -- Sam Rayburn
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