Partisan Warfare

I love Bi-partisanship. Since my party holds the minority in the U.S. Senate, I'm all for a "bi-partisan" solution to the judicial filibuster mess. Because it's the best way to mitigate the damage. That's when "bi-partisanship" works best.

I want political leaders I support to do what I want. I want universal health care. I want strong U.S. support of a strong U.N. I want Social Security protected and preserved. That's my "partisan" position.

There's nothing wrong with being partisan. Democracy is premised on it. The point of the republican exercise is to organize like-minded people who share a collective vision and work through a peaceful process to put that vision into power.

I don't understand why being considered "bi-partisan" or "non-partisan" puts someone on a higher moral realm. Say that something's Non-Partisan or Bi-Partisan and it's placed on a higher realm of political morality. Non-Partisan is fine when it presents information or activity in a neutral manner. But there's nothing more moral about the Red Cross because it acts in a non-partisan. It's simply a logical application of its work.

Bi-partisan doesn't necessarily mean better or more virtuous either. No Child Left Behind (kaff!) is considered a Bi-partisan measure because liberal icon Ted Kennedy supported it. Whee! Liberal and conservative working hand in hand for our nation's kids! But it's a crappy piece of legislation designed to pump public money into private businesses' hands with no accountability and little result. Like much of the Bush domestic agenda, it's more corporate welfare. That's "Bi-partisanship" like I understand it. A Partisan initiative couched in supposed middlegrounding to make it sellable.

I don't fault Frist and DeLay and the other numbskulls for their partisan approach to political warfare. I admire them for it. I wish I could get as much gumption from the Democratic Party's poobahs. I figure that soon enough some GOP leaders will realize that they've reached too far and start calling for "Bi-partisanship". Which will be good. Because it gives my partisans a shot at slowing 'em down.