Cue endless whinging by GOP House members over how they’re being shut out of agenda-setting, amendment-offering, text-reviewing participation in the House legislative calendar for the 110th Congress … exactly the same as they’ve done with the Dems over the last dozen year.
When confronted with the hypocrisy of it all, the most they can do is sputter … “But … but … but they said it would be different under them!”
Heh.
That said, I hope that this is, indeed, simply an initial Democratic “Let us show you what we’re about now that we’re in charge” volley across the GOP’s bow, and that after the “Hundred Hours” period is over, the promises of collegiality and civility by the Democratic leadership will, in fact, be honored. There’s something to be said for the moral high ground, and, so long as it’s respectful of the actual majority status of their party, that’s what the Democrats can demonstrate to the
nation.
What is so really funny about it is that all of these rules are the same rules already in place since 1994. The GOP’rs *could* have voted to rescind them at the end of the 109th, but then that would have denied them the ability to act the victim to the adoring Beltway whores we call the press.
Though the the only place I have read about the Democratic leadership promising to be collegial and civil has been in the self same Beltway Whores articles.
Listening to Air America (Franken) the other day, it seemed that the House will change their rules as the last part of the “100 hours”, thus allowing the Victimized GOP and their courtiers to claim victory.
collegiality and civility and bi-partisenship are a two way street, and there are going to have to be times over the next two years as the Dems go about fixing the GOP’s mess that it is going to have to be “My way of the Highway”…in a polite and civil way of course.
Oh, absolutely. The Dems *are* the majority (even, barely, in the Senate). Their will and agenda — tempered by the lack of super-majority in the Senate and Presidential Veto (and, of course, judicial review) gets to take precedence.
That said, it *is* a two-way street. The GOP showed squat interest in it over the last 12 years. That means it’s up the Dems to start traffic moving that way, even if they are still in charge of the lane painting and the signals.
Yeah, yeah, take the high road…
But part of me would have rejoiced if instead Pelosi had said, “Payback’s a bitch. And so am I.”
Agreed.