Reid, McConnell less than enthusiastic about Gang of Six (Reuters/Joshua Roberts)
There's only so much bipartisanship you an achieve when one side of the bargaining table is populated by nihilists. That seems to be the lesson from the
latest bipartisan fiasco in the Senate.
A bipartisan effort to rein in the national debt stalled Tuesday, as members of the Senate’s so-called Gang of Six signaled that an agreement is unlikely to come this week in time for the start of White House-led budget talks.
The absence of a deal deprives policymakers of a bipartisan centerpiece that could smooth the way toward agreement in the contentious battle between Democrats and Republicans over the appropriate size and shape of government.
Members of the Gang of Six said Tuesday that they are continuing to meet daily and that a deal is still possible. However, one of the six, Sen. Tom Coburn (R-Okla.), left town abruptly Tuesday because of a family emergency, leaving lawmakers and the White House as they begin negotiations over whether to allow the government’s debt to keep rising.
Politico adds that they are running out of time and apparently respect from leadership: both Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and Minority Leader Mitch McConnell dissed them in a press conference yesterday, summing up: "So in the face of overwhelming skepticism and underwhelming support — the White House has barely weighed in on the months-long work — the question remains whether the Gang of Six is on a fool’s errand and facing a noble but impossible task of coming up with a bipartisan plan based on last winter’s debt panel recommendations."
Roll Call adds that the "much-hyped 'gang of six' is on the verge of being left behind."
Not that we're left with very encouraging options in the Senate. Budget Committee Chair Kent Conrad (D-ND) has come up with a budget so conservative it has alienated his caucus. Someone in the Senate needs to take up the People's Budget from the Congressional Progressive Caucus, and fast.
And maybe with this major bipartisan fizzle, Democrats will finally clue in to the fact that you can't work with this Republican party.