Bipartisanship

[randy_byers]

As I've said before, I think Obama's bipartisanship is mostly a political tactic to make himself look generous and to make intransigent Republicans look like assholes. I think the intended audience for this tactic is conservative-leaning independent swing voters. However, the vote on stripping funding for the F-22 out of the Senate defense appropriations bill yesterday is worth pondering as well. The vote on both sides, yea and nay, was heavily bipartisan. John McCain was one of the sponsors of the amendment to strip out the funding, and thirteen Republicans voted for it, including wingnuts like Ensign and Shelby and "Waterloo" DeMint. This also reminded me of Booman's post about watching the mark-up of America's Affordable Health Choices Act (AAHCA) in the Senate's Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) on CSPAN2, in which we see Tom Coburn doing sensible work on a bill that he will ultimately vote against. Are these things actual bipartisanship as it's found living in the wild, or is it only really bipartisan when you work against your party on something that will piss the partisans off?

Comments

[farmgirl1146.livejournal.com]

I think the GOP has gone crazy. I do not understand how GOP held up Sotomayor vote. She's there no matter what they do.

[randy-byers.livejournal.com]

The GOP as a party has no coherent political strategy at this point and is reaping the awful fruit of the Southern Strategy. Yet my two Democratic senators voted to continue to build an antiquated Cold War weapon, while thirteen Republicans senators, including some of the nuttiest, voted against it.

[daveon.livejournal.com]

You're surprised that your senators voted to keep a part Boeing project funded? Shame on you ;)

[randy-byers.livejournal.com]

I'm not the least bit surprised. I'm just thankful that enough Republicans crossed over to defeat this particular instance of pork barrel politics.

[farmgirl1146.livejournal.com]

I don't get it. Definitely a lack of vision on everyone's part. A pox on all their houses. Oops slipping into the hyperbole zone.