The president and democratic leadership in the House and Senate continue to deny elected republican representatives participation in the legislative/governing processes. The president and other democratic leadership will only talk with republicans whom they believe may be persuaded to vote for their bills.
Official requests since April by republican leadership to meet with the president and democratic leadership to discuss important legislation have been ignored or rejected ... never accepted.
Democratic leadership in the executive and legislative branches campaigned on restoring bipartisanship and also promised it in their acceptance speeches. Then, within days(!) of taking office, the president's staff and democratic leaders in the House and Senate said "We won so we get to do it OUR way!". Of course we have seen that they, indeed, did exactly that. S'up with that? Does this bother anyone else?
Here's the deal ...
I told one of our US Senators in a town hall meeting 3 months ago that this partisanship whereby nearly half(!) of the citizens' elected (chosen!) representatives are denied a voice in legislation:
- Ends up denying approximately HALF of American citizens(!) a voice in government. [By the way, it's called disenfranchisement!]
- Was warned against by the founding fathers. [Madison even had a term for it: "Majority Oppression".]
- Represents the ultimate in hypocracy by a party that claims a monopoly on being truly fair to Americans.
He was clearly saying (at least) four things: 1) yeah, I know we're doing it ... so what?, 2) you can't stop us (nyah, nyah, nyah), 3) we're going to keep doing it (nyah, nyah, nyah), and 4) I'm ignorant of constitutional history, constitutional limitations on federal government, and The People's right to representation (ie, not just a right of those people to whom those currently in charge choose to 'grant' representation).
There are tons of powers, actions and processes not specifically excluded in the constitution but that doesn't mean they're okay. What ARE you guys (democrats in the executive and legislative branches) thinking?
Then, when The People, upset with state of affairs, began practicing their constitutional(!) right to protest and free speech via town hall meetings and Tea Parties, the president actually said ... actually said: "be quiet and get out of the way" and was dismissive of us as "teabaggers". Double OMG to that!! The president ordering those who vocally protest his actions and those of his cohorts in the legislature to be quiet? I thought all these people (leaders in the executive, legislative and judicial branches) swore an oath to protect and preserve the constitution ... for ALL the people! I suppose these guys think that's constitutionally okay too, huh? Got news for you, the Bill of Rights IS part of the constitution.
Gotta feel sorry for the current democratic leadership in one way though. For them, the constitution certainly is "An Inconvenient Document"! Declaration of Independence too. Those pesky documents sure can get in the way of a perfectly good political, power-grabbing agenda.
There is good news however ... there appears to be hope, even from within the democratic party. I asked the same question of Senator Wyden in yesterday's Grants Pass town hall meeting and he said he thinks this partisanship is wrong. He said he is working hard to involve republicans. In fact, he is the sponsor of one of the Senate versions of health care reform and has worked diligently to get equal participation by and content from republicans. To that I've gotta say OMG! too ... in a good way.
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