Porcine mud wrestling

Democrats, who controlled the Congress unabated for fifty years are suddenly remembering how difficult it is to herd their own party after a ten-year hiatus (Wall Street Journal)

Democrats took control of Congress last January promising a “new direction.” A year later, the image that haunts them most is one symbolizing no direction at all: gridlock.

Unfinished work is piling up — legislation to aid borrowers affected by the housing mess, rescue millions of middle-class families from a big tax increase and put stricter gas-mileage limits on the auto industry. Two months into the new fiscal year, Democrats are still scrambling just to keep the government open.

President Bush and Republicans are contributing to the impasse, but there’s another factor: Intraparty squabbling between House Democrats and Senate Democrats is sometimes almost as fierce as the partisan battling.

A fracas between Democrats this week over a proposed $522 billion spending package is the latest example. The spending would keep the government running through the current fiscal year, which ends Sept. 30, 2008, but it has opened party divisions over funding the Iraq war and lawmakers’ home-state projects.

The Washington Times Editorial Board highlights the depths of Democrats failure;

And yet here we are in mid-December 2007 and Democrats, who did manage to pass a budget in the spring, have floundered ever since. Yes, 60 votes are needed to pass just about anything of consequence in the Senate (except budget resolutions and reconciliations). Even so, as the budget endgame approached this week, the Democrat-controlled Congress had managed not only to pass just two appropriations bills (one of which was vetoed); it had also failed to deliver conference reports for votes on the other 10.

In the only appropriations bill signed so far, the administration asked for, and received, a double-digit increase in defense spending that is unrelated to its war on terror. Because Democrats insist that troop-withdrawal deadlines be written in the war-funding bill, a bitter fight has erupted over war funding, which also reflects a roughly 20 percent increase over last year’s request (and more than 70 percent above the 2006 war budget).

Blue Crab Boulevard’s Gaius reports that the Democrats are more likely to blame the Republicans for their stalled performance;

Much of what the Democrats in the House are complaining about amount to the exact, same tactics the Democrats used over and over to block things in the Republican-controlled Congress. They act as if this is a surprise. They came to power promising bipartisan relations and have, instead, turned everything they touch into a partisan battle without even a hint of trying to gain Republican votes – other than by promising lavish pork-bribery now and then. Instead, they offer theatrics….

Michele Malkin says they’re “Unhinged. Petulant. Finger-pointing. Back-stabbing. The Democrats are their own worst enemies…” as she republishes Nancy Pelosi’s gallant acceptance speech;

I accept this gavel in the spirit of partnership, not partisanship, and I look forward to working with you Mr. Boehner and the Republicans in the Congress on behalf of the American people.

My, my how far we’ve come. Gaius concludes;

For all their talk, bluster and finger-pointing, the Democrats hold the slimmest of majorities in both houses of Congress – which should lead them to seek compromise. Instead they have chosen the Kabuki – with really bad makeup.

Actually, those are their real faces, Gaius.

Sweetness and Light describes how well Pelosi can spend taxpayer money when she is not restrained by Republicans. Pam at Right Voices quotes Charles Rangel;

…Charles B. Rangel (D-N.Y.) accuses Senate Democratic leaders of developing “Stockholm syndrome,” showing sympathy to their Republican captors….

All you have to do is compromise, Chuckie. You used the word enough in the last three sessions – try actually doing it.

Note: Thanks to Right Voices and Blue Crab Boulevard for linking me up.

Category: Politics