The word "bi" in Old English means "two." But in context, it does not mean two alone and separate, it means two in relationship to each other, as in a tango, or a boxing match.
Barack Obama got elected because, after eight years of George W. Bush and his "go-it-alone" policies, Americans want our political parties to work together to solve the critical problems of the 21st Century.
I wrote this post the day after Barack was inagurated, then never posted it, asking the question, "what model will it be for the Republicans going forward, the Tango or the Boxing Match?
The Stimulus Package battle clearly shows where the GOP stand on this question. They had their chance to dance and they choose to box. I say Barack Obama and the Democrats take this lesson from the GOP to heart and start pounding.
---- Initial Posting ---
I'm all in favor of bipartisanship. America's problems are too great not to have a unified approach to taking them on. Massive deficits, an economy in recession, multiple wars, rising unemployment, aging infrastructure.... the list of problems is as long as my arm.
Barack got elected because he alone has been relentless in focusing on the good of the American people, rather than on slinging mud at his opponents. This is laudable and a genuine source of hope. At the same time, I see storm clouds on the horizon.
"Bipartisanship" is a five-syllable word, with the most important syllable coming first. "Bi" in Old English means "two." As in, "it takes two to tango." This is not two cows standing apart in a field, but two entities in relationship to each other, as in two dancers working together, or two boxers pounding each other into a stupor.
Barack, I believe, genuinely wants to join with the Republicans and make a dance of it over the next four years. Solving America's many grave problems is, of course, much more serious than a simple tango, but the metaphor is apt: dancing together takes teamwork, timing, and a willingness to be part of something larger to achieve success.
The boxing metaphor, on the other hand, is also apt. Two opponents pummel each other mercilessly, the blood flies, then one falls over and the other emerges victorious. Americans are enamored with victory; in our politics, "victory" is a magic elixir, always promised, always expected. But to get to victory there must be blood.
My question is, is spilling (metaphorical) blood the best model for fixing our crumbling infrastructure? The best model for paying off mountains of debt? The best model for putting America's unemployed back to work? Clearly, Americans chose Barack because the Tango Model is more effective at fixing problems than is the Boxing Model.
But, this isn't a world made of kumbaya. As former CA Governor Jerry Brown likes to say "politics is a contact sport." So the larger question is this: what does the GOP prefer? Do they want to dance or do they want to box?
----- Update and Additions ---
Now that the Stimulus Package is ready to be signed by President Obama, one clear message emerges from this debate: The Republican party has no interest in bipartisanship. Given the chance to Tango, they choose to Box. The hand of friendship was extended to them; the dance floor was open.
The Republicans refused the offer and instead, laced on the boxing gloves. The spiritual leader of the GOP, Rush Limbaugh, summed up the position of the Republican party best when he said "I want Obama to fail."
After eight years of power in the Presidency, 10 years of power in the Senate, and 12 years of power in the House, the Republican party is clearly used to saying to Democrats "it's my way or the highway" and "if I don't get my way, I'll take my ball and go home." And indeed, what we saw the last two weeks in the House and Senate was nothing short of a monumental Republican temper tantrum, swinging wildly between these two stances.
The Republicans mounted a massive campaign of sturm and drang over the Stimulus Package, and in the end, it signified nothing. The bill passed both houses of Congress, with the support of only three Republicans out of 219.
Clearly, the Republican party is here to Box, not to Tango. As is so much their style, they cry and howl to the press and the talk shows about a lack of bipartisanship on the part of Democrats, while behaving in an extremely partisan manner themselves. They cry and decrie to throw up smoke, then do exactly what they accuse others of doing.
During their years of power, these tactics worked very well, to stampede the Democrats into the Patriot Act overnight, into the Iraq War bill days before an election, into tax cut after tax cut, first because the surplus was too big, then later because the deficit was too large.
For years, the Boxing model worked wonders for the Republicans, because they couldn't be outpunched. The Stimulus Package has shown this is no longer true. Yet have the Republicans adjusted their tactics? Learned a new way of governance? Decided upon a new approach, tailored to their new minority reality?
No. The Republican party is the Republican party and if they can't win, they want the other side to fail. Limbaugh said it and the GOP Congress proved it during the Stimulus Package debate. They have no intention of giving up the Boxing Model going forward.
I say Democrats should relish this new reality and box back. Hard. Let President Obama continue with his "good cop" bipartisan efforts, and let the House and Senate Democrats take out the gloves and hit the Republicans hard.
Three Republicans out of 219 does not bipartisanship make. Look at it one way and the Republicans fought the valiant fight. Look at it another way and they got steamrolled.
Having driven the steamroller for too many years themselves, it's hard for them to accept - or admit - that they've been flattened. But this is what it is. And Democrats need to stand together and do much more of it in the days to come.
The Repbublicans had the chance to Tango and they chose to Box. No Democrat should miss the meaning of this lesson. And no Democrat should fail to take it to heart.