In the RealClearPolitics story linked in today's pundit roundup, Jay Cost makes a great observation about bipartisanship:
The third relevant problem with bipartisanship is that there is a bipartisan solution to most problems - it's just that the public hates it (and President Obama campaigned assiduously against it). That solution is the status quo.
With the economy hemmoraging 500,000+ jobs a month, no one (except Dittoheads) is for the status quo. Nate Silver's chart of how Senators voted on Democratic amendments to EXPAND the stimulus suggests Collins and Snowe are not likely to stand in the way of the final bill. Specter, up for election in 2010 in an industrial state, isn't likely to either. (And I don't see Ben Nelson being the deciding vote against cloture.)
But if they REALLY want to go on record as blocking the only chance we realistically have of slowing the economic slide...
...(the Fed is helpless, having already reduced interest rates to zero), I say let them. Make them vote to filibuster. Then make them vote again, and again, and again. My guess is the calls they start getting won't just be from Limbots
Obama uttered some tough words yesterday. It's time to back them up with action and put the so-called "moderates" feet to the fire.
Who's with me?
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