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BI-PARTISANSHIP—REVISITED VIRGINIA STYLE
Sunday, November 29, 2009(Arlington County Democratic Committee)
At
the time I wrote my March 2009 Chair’s Column,
the U.S. House of Representatives
had just passed President Obama’s economic
stimulus plan without a
single Republican vote. That development set
off an extensive national
debate regarding whether or not President Obama
had abandoned his campaign
promises to be bi-partisan.
In
the context of this national debate, I wrote in
that column:
“To
retain the public support
he needs to drive his progressive agenda
through Congress, President
Obama should make clear that the GOP bears a
heavy burden to offer something
new and positive—in light of the mess the Bush
administration left
behind. Obama should be on the alert for any
GOP ideas that truly are
new and positive, adopt such ideas if he finds
any, and point to their
adoption as evidence of his bi-partisanship. If
the Republicans persist
in advancing the same old bankrupt ideas, then
President Obama should
continue to reject those ideas, but should very
publicly continue to
reach out to the GOP. Obama should be up front
with the American people
that this is exactly what he is going to do,
but should be clear that
he absolutely is NOT ‘going to meet the
Republicans half way’ regarding
any of their ideas or policies that are proven
failures.”
Fast
forward to Virginia circa December 2009.
Virginia
Republicans swept to victory in the three
statewide races this year,
and increased their margin of control in the
Virginia House of Delegates.
Governor-elect McDonnell and the Virginia
Republican Party certainly
will do anything it can to subvert the tenuous
Democratic control in
the Virginia State Senate. The effects of the
Bush recession continue
to hurt most Virginians, and the Virginia state
government budget is
under serious pressure from multiple declining
revenue forecasts.
In
this political and economic environment, large
numbers of voters in
Virginia, particularly independent voters, are
looking for practical
solutions to the state’s many fiscal problems.
I strongly believe
that the advice I had for President Obama in
March applies just as much
to Virginia Democratic legislators in December.
You need to strike a
principled balance. On the one hand, voters
want to see you trying to
govern and solve common problems effectively
and with common sense.
On the other hand, both Democratic and
independent voters admire, respect,
and vote for politicians who stand for a core
set of principles, make
clear what those are, and act on them.
As a Virginia Democratic legislator, you need to send the message that you have such core principles, and explain what they are. If you do that effectively, then you can and should stand up proudly and vote “NO” on those proposals forwarded on to you by Bob McDonnell and the Virginia Republican Party which are fundamentally at odds with your and the Virginia Democratic Party’s core philosophy. Not only is this the right thing to do, this is the politically savvy thing to do to position Virginia Democrats for a comeback in 2011 when all the Virginia legislative seats will next be up for election.