bipartisanship

Let’s play a game. Try to guess who each of the following statements is directed to. Here we go…

1. “We extend a hand and get a fist in return.”
2. “Yet even as ____ reached across the aisle with one hand, ____ pushed back with the other.”

They seem to be saying similar things. They both deal with bipartisanship. They both accuse someone of disingenuously acting in a partisan fashion. They both use hand metaphors. But interestingly enough, they describe two different parties. The first one was said by Obama at a recent New Hampshire town hall in which he called out Republicans for opposing him on health care. The second one was written by the Associated Press in an article discussing Obama’s recent speeches in which he simultaneously makes a play for bipartisanship while throwing jabs at Republicans.

It’s been a confusing few weeks for bipartisanship. It started with the President addressing the House Republican caucus extolling the virtues of different points of view:

“I’m a big believer not just in the value of a loyal opposition, but in its necessity. Having differences of opinion, having a real [is] . . . not something that’s only good for our country, it’s absolutely essential. It’s only through the process of disagreement and debate that bad ideas get tossed out and good ideas get refined and made better. And that kind of vigorous back and forth – that imperfect but well-founded process, messy as it often is – is at the heart of our democracy.”

I agree. And I challenge you to find a Republican who wouldn’t agree. The problem is that President Obama’s calls for bipartisanship can be nothing more than mere rhetoric, aimed at scoring some political points. There is no other explanation for why he followed up a week later with these jabs at Republican’s “differences of opinion:”

In an attempt to portray Republicans unanimous opposition to the Democrat’s health care plan as a political tool:

“You can't walk away from your responsibilities to confront the challenges facing this country because you think it's good short-term politics.”

On Republicans opposing last year’s massive stimulus package Obama argued:

“They’ve found a way to have their cake and vote against it too.”

In a response to Senator Lincoln Obama suggested that adopting their policies isn’t going to do any good for Democrats:

“If the price of certainty is essentially for us to adopt the exact same proposals that were in place for eight years, leading up to the greatest economic crisis since the Great Depression – we don’t tinke with health care, let the insurance companies do what they want; we don’t put in place any insurance eforms; we don’t mess with the banks, let them keep on doing what they’re doing now because we don’t want to stir up Wall Street – the result is going to be the same.”

Together it represents a strategy that Obama has perfected: extending the olive branch with one hand and delivering a right cross with the other. Republicans must punch back. We must counter Robert Gibbs baseless assertion that “the party of ‘no’ has become the party of no new ideas.” And we must rebut any attempts by Obama to mischaracterize Republican alternatives. Because frankly we do have ideas, including:

1. Providing affordable insurance to those with preexisting conditions through Universal Access Programs designed to expand and reform high risk pools
2. Malpractice tort reform including capping noneconomic and punitive damages which the CBO says would “reduce spending on mandatory programs by about $41 billion and would increase revenues by $13 billion”
3. Regulatory reform in the small group an nongroup market, including establishing association health plans to pool random risks and allowing individuals to purchase across state lines. The CBO estimates these reforms would reduce premiums:
   1. 10% for employers who get coverage through a small business
   2. 8% for those who do not have access to employer-provided coverage
   3. 3% for employees who get coverage through a large business

While the President continues to play political parlor tricks, Republicans have been given the opportunity to rise above the fray. Leave Obama standing at the pulpit of illusory bipartisanship and take a step towards the needs of the American people. If Obama’s remarks are any indication, I have a feeling he won’t be willing to meet us there.

- Brandon Greife, Political Director of the College Republican National Committee

Should Republicans seek more bipartisanship? The answer is an unequivocal "Sometimes."

People mean different things by bipartisan. Most politicians mean "shut up and do what we want", and "bipartisanship" mostly becomes a rhetorical club to swing at opponents.  Practically speaking, I think there are a couple ways to approach bipartisanship.

1. Compromise [Unlikely]: Republicans and Democrats are not likely to pursue bipartisan compromise on the more significant, contentious issues.  As Atrios has so often reminded us, People Disagree About Stuff.  Compromising over those disputes is almost invariably a bad idea.  It's bad politics (because you're angering your supporters) and bad policy (because you're splitting the policy baby).

   What's more, I don't think we really want that kind of bipartisanship.  It invariably involves horse-trading (you can buy my vote if I can buy your vote).  Outside of government, we call that sort of thing collusion and those of us being colluded against get stuck with much higher prices (government spending & taxes).  Russell Roberts' terrific 1995 essay ("If you're paying, I'll have top sirloin") touched on this point.

2. Collaboration [Yes, hopefully]: The second kind of bipartisanship - working together on areas of mutual agreement - is much more possible, and Republicans really ought to pursue it.  We don't do enough collaborative, bi-partisan policy-making, because politicians tend to focus on the more contentious issues.  For instance, everybody basically agrees on things like transparency, but that means there are relatively few points to be scored.  Everybody wants to Win The War, nobody wants to fix the sink.  As a result, important things don't get done. Republicans can begin rebuilding their credibility by pursuing some of this low-hanging fruit.

Americans have sent a clear message that must be reflected upon: As Republicans, we are not trusted to lead this country. After the results from eight years of a George Bush Presidency and six years of a Republican Congress, voters decided it was time for change. Who can blame them?

Democrats promised voters they would deliver the essential functions of government, such as a dependable economy and consistent national defense, while acting responsibly and effectively. Their promise of post-partisan politics was appealing as well, considering the growing desire among voters to elect representatives who will work for all Americans, not just a political party.

This remains a center-right nation, ideologically, but the last two election cycles demonstrated that Americans are willing to look past differences on the major issues and take a chance on candidates who have promised to be more productive and competent than their predecessors. This represents a shift in the political landscape, away from ideology and towards pragmatism.

To move this country forward, Republicans and Democrats must work together to develop the best solutions for the serious problems our country faces. Just as Republicans and Democrats allied after the disasters of September 11th, both parties must join together to guarantee America's  problems are resolved. As Americans, we must demand that our elected representatives cooperate to solve the very serious dilemmas in America right now.

Some question the conservative credentials of Republicans willing to work with Democrats, but it should be stated that the goal is never to dilute conservatism via compromise. Republicans must never acquiesce or waver in defense of our core conservative principles: strong national defense, free market capitalism, freedom and liberty for individuals, decreased tax burden for all taxpayers, and limited waste in government. While Republicans will not win each battle, we must always be prepared to defend and promote our principles. If not, both Americans and Republicans will lose.

Delivering on the promise of good bipartisan government requires that liberal and conservative tenets are represented in every discussion. Unfortunately, when Republicans offered conservative additions to a very liberal stimulus plan, they were swiftly rejected by Congressional Democrats and President Barack Obama. We should all support Republican Congressmen in their fight to protect capitalism and lower taxes on middle and low-income workers.

Regrettably, vocal conservatives derided their actions as traitorous, instead of rallying support. This criticism is not only juxtaposed to the economic interests of the country, but also inhibits Republican efforts to rebuild our damaged credibility. As a party, we cannot afford to become marginalized reactionaries who simply oppose for the sake of opposition. The outcome of such mindless opposition would be legislation without input from Republicans, robbing Americans of conservative principles that will help in these difficult times.

With Democrats controlling the executive and legislative branches of government, they will undoubtedly advance a liberal agenda. Because of such control, Republicans have only two clear choices of action—fight Democrats in futility or collaborate to ensure our conservative principles are represented. But be forewarned, trading insults back and forth will not stall overtly liberal plans.

Once both political parties acknowledge the benefit of collaboration, they will be able to provide the most needed improvements for our nation. Republicans will also receive an invaluable opportunity to reassert credibility and narrow the trust gap with the American people. When this is combined with expanded outreach to young and minority voters, Republicans will enjoy a vastly improved electoral outlook.

In the end, it doesn't matter to most Americans if something comes from a Democrat or Republican. Everyone desires a government that works. Americans must demand that both Republicans and Democrats place America ahead of partisanship. It's imperative that we are all Americans first, partisans second.

Lauren is the Head Editor at New Republicans and a Senior at West Coast Baptist College in Los Angeles. Patrick is the Chairman Emeritus of the Texas Federation of College Republicans and a Sophomore at Collin College in Dallas. Both are experienced campaign staffers.

Joe Biden was (is?) such a big fan of John McCain that he thought enough prominently feature the Republican nominee sitting alongside Biden on a previous version of his Senate site. This wasn't just an offhand photo posted somewhere in a gallery -- but a permanent fixture on the site -- and the first thing you saw when you visited:

Here's the archived version of the site, and here's a screenshot of the full page.

We know that Caroline Kennedy and Eric Holder Googled potential nominees. It's unfortunate they never thought to use Archive.org.