It’s a 51-49 Senate, so compromise has to rule the day, right? Wrong. Dems may be one seat shy of parity, but they’ve been completely shut out of the legislative process by Republicans who — with control of both chambers of Congress and the White House — are in no mood to negotiate.
So Dems are utilizing the only tool left at their disposal. Republicans call it “obstructionist” tactics, but Dems see it as wily parliamentary maneuvers. Call it whatever you want, but it’s working and it’s driving the GOP crazy.
U.S. News & World Report’s Terence Samuel wrote a great item for The American Prospect in which he highlighted the pleasure Dems are taking in just saying “no.”
Exercising the only real leverage the party has in Washington, Senate Democrats are making it difficult, and impossible when they can, for the Republican majority to work its will and that of the White House. The result is that much of the much-touted collegiality and courtesy of the Senate is working it way up the endangered-species list.
While these efforts are unpleasant, and are exacerbating partisan tensions on the Hill, Dems are hardly left with many choices. Just as it is in the House, Senate Republicans are effectively trying to steamroll over Dem concerns, objections, and requests for amendments. But unlike the House, senators can filibuster and force the GOP to try and get 60 votes. So far, they haven’t been able to break the Dems.
As Senate Minority Leader Tom Daschle (D-S.D.) explained, Dems aren’t asking for much here:
“Again, as I say, they seem to say, ‘We want it our way or we don’t want it at all.’ Well, this is a republic, and in a republic you have got to have the kind of vigorous debate on issues of consequence that the Senate allows. And that’s all we’re asking: a good, vigorous debate with amendments, with opportunities for senators to express themselves.”
Samuel’s article also explained that Dems have no qualms about keeping this up. It’s a good thing; the alternative is an unchallenged GOP agenda.
“The fundamental issue is that Republicans are refusing to allow Democrats to offer any amendments on important issues,” says Jim Manley, spokesman for stalwart Democrat and uber-obstructionist Senator Ted Kennedy. “All Frist is trying to do is pander to his right wing by putting bills on the floor that he knows is not going to go anywhere.”
Frist’s communication director, Bob Stevenson, told me a few weeks ago that the GOP was not going to be pushed around by the Democrats. “We are not going to let them run the place,” he said.
Quietly, some Democrats are chuckling and saying the same thing.