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Sounds like your definition of "Participate" means "agree to whatever the democrats want"
Bi-Partisanship is a 2 way street. The republicans have real concerns about reform and - by the way - represent the interests of some of your fellow citizens as well. Maybe you should keep that in mind as you advocate ignoring half the country while tinkering with 17% of the economy.
We all saw the GOP version of bipartisanship during the budget negotiations. President Obama went to them, got their input, and made several changes at their request. Then they voted lock-step against it.
So your accusation that my definition of 'participate' is 'agree to whatever the Democrats want' is patently false. The GOP is failing completely to act as governing legislators, and are treating everything as a partisan battle. And the American public sees it, too.
OK but I don't want to hear any squealing from Dems when the Republicans are in power and do the same thing.
Um...hello? Are you kidding??
Republicans used reconciliation multiple times during the Bush administration. Remember Bush's tax cuts of 2001 and 2003? Republicans passed those tax cuts using reconiciliation, which is why they expire by 2011.
The GOP is failing completely to act as governing legislators, and are treating everything as a partisan battle. And the American public sees it, too.
Exactly. Can't really put it any clearer than that.
Republican legislators are quite simply acting like a bunch of spoiled children who're mad that they didn't get their way (in the election), so they're throwing temper tantrums and refusing to compromise on ANYTHING.
Unfortunately for them, America sees what they're doing, and it doesn't seem to be helping their cause.
I'll give you classic hypocrisy and raise you one. Because Interior Secretary, Ken Salazar decided to negate some last attempts by bush to destroy pristine areas of the west by canceling oil and gas leases. As usual, leases had not received adequate environment review. To retaliate, Utah repub, Bob Bennett has placed a hold on the nomination of David Hayes (a conservative minded individual, BTW) to be deputy secretary at the Interior Department. Hayes, is very well qualified and held the same job during the Clinton administration. My post may be OT, but a prime example of that repubs have no idea of the meaning of bipartisanship. There is no excuse for holding up this nomination other than bipartisanship.
the problem is that with most of the population not paying taxes and getting free healthcare to boot. Why would they want to change congress from Democratic to Repubican in the future. They get everything without paying for it they think. When it does start to affect them then it will be too late and Socialism will be in place. Healthcare will be decided by a government offical. 55 years old do you need your breast, breast cancer well you might live 5 more years with treatment but how much will it cost? Hmm not enough odds of survival.
Republicans used reconciliation multiple times during the Bush administration. Remember Bush's tax cuts of 2001 and 2003? Republicans passed those tax cuts using reconiciliation, which is why they expire by 2011.
A little different than taking over 16% of the economy.
I guess if Republican legislators are that worried that Democrats' healthcare reform will ruin our country, maybe they should think a little harder about compromising on the issue (that means BOTH sides make some concessions, give a little, take a little), instead of flat-out refusing to deal. I mean, they know Dems are considering reconciliation. In light of that news, why aren't they considering compromise, so that Dems aren't forced to fast-track healthcare?
You'd think the GOP'd say, "Wait, if we continue to act this way, Dems will pass healthcare reform, regardless of our protests, like we passed the Bush tax cuts. Do we really want that? Maybe we should at least compromise so that nobody's left completely out of the loop."
The Republicans' collective behavior tells me that they'd rather act like spoiled, whining children than work out a bi-partisan healthcare deal that everyone/most can at least be relatively happy with.
I guess if Republican legislators are that worried that Democrats' healthcare reform will ruin our country, maybe they should think a little harder about compromising on the issue (that means BOTH sides make some concessions, give a little, take a little), instead of flat-out refusing to deal. I mean, they know Dems are considering reconciliation. In light of that news, why aren't they considering compromise, so that Dems aren't forced to fast-track healthcare?
You'd think the GOP'd say, "Wait, if we continue to act this way, Dems will pass healthcare reform, regardless of our protests, like we passed the Bush tax cuts. Do we really want that? Maybe we should at least compromise so that nobody's left completely out of the loop."
The Republicans' collective behavior tells me that they'd rather act like spoiled, whining children than work out a bi-partisan healthcare deal that everyone/most can at least be relatively happy with.
The Democrats don't need or want a compromise, they want Republican votes as cover in case this thing goes wrong, which I am sure it will.
How about if the rich start paying social security tax on income over $97,000/year? That would generate a helluva lot of revenue, it seems to me.
That single handedly would solve the social security "crisis" which btw is only projected to happen 30 years from now if we do absolutely nothing for the next three decades. In other words there is no crisis and the fix is very simple.
The Democrats don't need or want a compromise, they want Republican votes as cover in case this thing goes wrong, which I am sure it will.
Riiiiight...as evidenced by their intent to proceed through reconciliation (READ: without a single Republican vote).
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