Monday, February 9, 2009

Don't Let Bi-Partisanship Kill the Economy

In contrast to my last post, this one will be short and sweet! I'd like to call your attention to three great articles by Ezra Klein, Tina Brown, and Peter Beinart. These three articles deal with the utter inanity of bi-partisanship. I especially like this tidbit from Klein:
"It is time to say this quite simply: There is no such thing in Washington as bipartisanship. This is not to say that there will be no such thing as bipartisan bills. Republicans will vote for Democratic initiatives when it appears to further their goals. But insofar as crossover votes have come to be seen as representative of an elusive character trait or political spirit known as "bipartisanship," it is time to let go of an increasingly damaging fantasy. And if we let go of the myth of bipartisanship and embrace the reality of continued minority obstructionism, that may also mean it's time to let go of the filibuster."
As is perhaps obvious, he then goes on to argue for the elimination of the filibuster. While the filibuster came in handy during the Bush years in order to stop egregious initiatives like the privatization of Social Security, the measure is inherently anti-democratic and should be dispensed with. You might argue that Klein is being politically opportunistic, and perhaps he is. Deal with it, Republicans lost the election, go cry me a river. However, Klein anticipated this response and has a handy follow-up post here.

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