To the sound of knashing of teeth...
Here's Wiktionary's take:
bipartisanship
- noun. Cooperation between competing political parties; governing in a bipartisan manner.
Here's Webster's take:
bipartisan
- adjective. representing, characterized by, or including members from two parties or factions: Government leaders hope to achieve a bipartisan foreign policy.
- adjective. Of, consisting of, or supported by members of two parties, especially two major political parties: a bipartisan resolution. bi·par'ti·san·ism n., bi·par'ti·san·ship' n.
I'm proposing some revisions on the flip side...
Bipartisanship; n.
- the ideology of the American political elite that ensures that elections do not matter. If we do it in a bi-partisan manner, we can disburse the TARP funds with no accountability.
- a mechanism that allows conservatives to rule while in the minority; used by liberals in this sense. By appealing to the Republicans we will achieve bipartisan support for the bill; all we have to do is include their ideas--and throw out our own.
- a mechanism that prevents liberals from ruling while in the majority; used by conservatives in this sense. By larding the bill with the provisions they were elected to enact, the Democrats are not working in a bi-partisan fashion.
- the form of political pragmatism that mistakes inclusion for achievement. Clearly, it is not a good bill and no one is saying that. But it is a bipartisan bill and we all agree that is important.
- the signature political philosophy of President Barack Obama. Now is the time to put the aside the old ways of doing business in Washington so we can move forward together in a bipartisan spirit.
- bullshit. That is bipartisan!
Really, does this not suck?!?
I'm on the fence as to whether Obama's bipartisanship is a clever political ploy or a sign of his buy-in to the elite's way of doing business. The answer probably requires defining a new logical operator that I call b/FAIL which stands for BOTH AND FAIL.
Let's poll it.