WANTED: Bipartisanship
A Politically Blonde Special written on August 25, 2008 just after the conclusion of the Olympics.
Candace Parker should run for public office.
Sweat trickling down her face, the rising women’s basketball star gracefully captured her first Olympic gold medal Saturday as a member of Team USA.
The significance? Only three weeks ago, Parker’s WNBA team, the L.A. Sparks, was entangled in a viscous, bench-clearing brawl with the Detroit Shock. Although one of Parker’s Olympic teammates was Shock guard Katie Smith, the women put tensions and domestic rivalries behind them to achieve victory.
“We don’t want to be a part of the team that doesn’t win a gold medal,” Parker told reporters after the game.
Team before self. Common goals ahead of differences. The U.S. federal government should take a cue from Parker’s priorities.
Instead of buckling down to do what the American people hired them to do, legislators sure spend a lot of time embroiled in party politics.
Congressional Democrats have stubbornly and stupidly refused to even entertain a vote on offshore oil drilling to address America’s dependence on foreign oil. Never mind that nearly two-thirds of the American public supports oil exploration off our own coasts. These Democrats seem to prefer a paralyzed government that is unresponsive to the critical needs of the world around them.
Just ask political consultant and perennial campaign operative Thom Serafin, who has worked with both Republican and Democratic candidates. Mr. Serafin’s eyes glaze over at the mention of the current stalemate over energy independence in Washington.
“This debate has been going on my whole life,” the 54-year old Serafin sighed. “While we export $700 billion a year to other countries, Congress has yet to fulfill their legislative responsibility to provide any energy solutions.”
The absence of compromise poses a problem. So bitterly divided is the U.S. House of Representatives on the issue that earlier this month, House Democrats unplugged the microphones and switched off the lights on House Republicans to force an end to the day’s debate. In turn, the Republicans remained on the floor, in the dark, bashing the Democrats for not scheduling a vote on offshore drilling.
Oil prices are skyrocketing, production is slumping and the economy is plummeting. One would think juvenile behaviors could be left to the kids.
Think again.
The Republicans are just as stubborn in their refusal to address the immigration problem. 12 million undocumented immigrants currently live in America’s shadows. A shining moment of hope occurred in 2005 when Republican senator John McCain joined with Democratic senator Ted Kennedy to sponsor legislation that would grant citizenship to qualifying immigrants. Bear in mind, these qualifications included never having committed a crime, current full-time employment, having paid and re-paid all taxes and having coughed up a penalty fine.
Desperately wringing their hands while shrieking “amnesty,” Senate Republicans coalesced to successfully end the bill’s chances of ever passing. Guess what? Amnesty or not, those same 12 million immigrants remain in America today. Unidentified and untraceable, illegal immigrants are just another problem unaddressed.
While Republicans and Democrats’ busy schedules don’t often permit enough time to reach across the aisle, they always manage to squeeze in a little extra time for demonizing the enemy. And so it goes:
“Republicans want evil rich people and big-oil CEOs to rake in all of America’s profits!” cry the Democrats.
“Democrats want to steal all your hard-earned money and give it away to lazy, poor people!” howl the Republicans.
At least the Republican Administration and Democratically-controlled Congress can find common ground in their historically low approval ratings. According to Real Clear Politics polling averages, currently just 29% of Americans think President Bush is doing a good job while Congress bottoms out at an even lower 18%.
As party politics gain money and influence, America’s laundry list of challenges creates consequences and urgency. True statesmanship has never been in such high demand.
This is why it should come as no surprise that the electorate has chosen John McCain and Barack Obama as their presidential nominees. Both are noted for their ability to reach across the aisle. Obama’s rich rhetoric of unity and McCain’s maverick history of bucking his own party have apparently struck a chord.
Americans have had enough.
The biggest issue facing today’s elected officials isn’t an issue at all: it’s the stunning lack of bipartisanship.
Many of our country’s problems could be resolved with a little less ego and a little more compromise. It’s time for legislators to dig their heels in, swallow their pride and start passing legislation.
If not, there are a slew of Olympic athletes in whom I would feel far more confident.
Six-foot-four, one of the most accomplished basketball players in the world and offering no legislative experience whatsoever, the 22-year old Parker would certainly be a departure from your traditional Washington politician.
But at least she’s selfless enough to brush petty differences aside in order to get the job done.
