With the political winds blowing against the [tag]GOP[/tag] right now, and a number of [tag]vulnerable[/tag] congressional [tag]Republicans[/tag] feeling a little antsy, there will probably be a sudden urge from a number of GOP lawmakers to start compromising with [tag]Democrats[/tag]. These Republicans are almost desperate to be able to go home and say a) they were able to get something done; and b) this is not a do-nothing Congress.
With this in mind, [tag]Harry Reid[/tag] and [tag]Chuck Schumer[/tag] have told their Dem colleagues: Don’t even think about it.
Senate Democratic leaders are pushing their rank-and-file Members to refrain from reaching across the aisle to work on legislation and other policy efforts with vulnerable Republican incumbents until after Election Day, warning that the GOP has often used such displays of [tag]bipartisanship[/tag] to protect incumbents in tough races only to abandon those measures after November, Democratic sources said Tuesday.
Specifically, aides said party leaders were concerned that shows of election-year bipartisanship could help a number of Republicans facing difficult challenges, including Sens. Rick [tag]Santorum[/tag] (Pa.), Jon [tag]Kyl[/tag] (Ariz.), Lincoln [tag]Chafee[/tag] (R.I.), Conrad [tag]Burns[/tag] (Mont.), Jim [tag]Talent[/tag] (Mo.), Mike [tag]DeWine[/tag] (Ohio) and George [tag]Allen[/tag] (Va.).
One leadership aide told Roll Call that Reid and Schumer have repeatedly “reminded” Senators and staff that in order to win a majority in the Senate, “We have to beat [GOP] incumbents” and not help them by co-sponsoring legislation, jointly signing letters to other colleagues or the administration on key policy issues, or agreeing to conduct joint events with vulnerable Republican incumbents.
Reid and Schumer reportedly argued, “Every five-and-a-half years these guys pretend they’re moderate, and we fall for it every time. We’re not going to help them this time.”
Republicans, of course, aren’t going to care for this. They’ll call Dems “[tag]obstructionists[/tag]”‘; they’ll say they’re ready to work cooperatively on key bills; and they’ll insist that Dems are more concerned about the elections than with governing.
Of course, they’re not really in a position to complain.
Aides insist they are simply using a GOP tactic against Republicans, arguing that the GOP has rarely agreed to work cooperatively with incumbent Democrats perceived as politically vulnerable.
Over the past six years Republicans have successfully used Democrats’ willingness to act in a bipartisan manner against them. For instance, Republicans used the No Child Left Behind Act — which President Bush signed in 2002 — to blunt Democrats’ criticism of GOP education policies by pointing out that the bill was originally backed by Sen. Edward Kennedy (D-Mass.). Bush also used that law during his 2004 presidential election defeat of Sen. John Kerry (D-Mass.), as well as Democrats’ support of the war in Iraq in 2002 and 2003.
Dems also came up with the idea for a Department of Homeland Security, which Bush initially opposed, then stole, then used as a cudgel against Dems like Max Cleland.
Indeed, Dems have been shut out of the legislative process almost completely for several years. Their bills are ignored, they can’t offer amendments, and they can’t join conference committees. Now, in a panic, Republicans are wondering if they could get their “friends” on the other side of the aisle to help get some legislation through before heading home to campaign. And the Dems’ have an incentive to play along … why?