In Defense of Partisan Politics

Right now there is a loud call from the left for bi-partisanship regarding the stimulus bill. I couldn't think of anything I want less right now. Advocating bi-partisanship makes a few assumption that I believe are at best misguided and at worst down right wrong and harmful. Let's discuss shall we?

Assumption #1: That the government should move faster.

The last thing I want is the government to move faster. The only time I want the government to move fast is when there is an external military threat or some other "clear and present danger" that only the government is equipped (and constitutionally authorized) to handle. Why, you ask. Because the government is phenomenally incompetent and largely unaccountable for it's actions. Like Will Rogers said "This country has come to feel the same when Congress is in session as when the baby gets hold of a hammer." I truly believe that most government actions cause problems worse than those which they set out to fix. The less the government does the better. When it comes to the current legislation this is especially true. At the moment our elected officials are trying to increase the national debt to the tune of ~$1,000,000,000,000.00 all in the name of a plan that nobody is sure will work. They are also trying to expand the government on a grand scale never seen before in what amounts to the largest power grab in US history.

Assumption #2: That the plan currently proposed to counter the recession is a good one.

The democrats are claiming that the GOP is needlessly hindering the recovery effort by refusing to come together with them on this "stimulus" package. That is begging the question. In reality the GOP, and some Dems for that matter, have serious misgivings about this legislation and many are outright opposed to the entire Keynesian scheme. That's not partisanship, that's plain old disagreement based on principle. Nobody should be asked to sacrifice principle in the name of "bi-partisanship."

Assumption #3: The the GOP wants this legislation to fail.

OK, this is true, but it's not really the point. The point is that the GOP has resigned itself to the fact that this legislation will pass, but like Pontius Pilate, they wish to wash their hands of the whole ugly mess. They know what a boondoggle this legislation is and they want the Dems to bear sole responsibility for its aftermath. The Dems know this which is why they are all doom and gloom in the media. They are trying to temper expectations. It is also why they are pushing for bi-partisanship. They know that they can get it passed with just 3 GOP votes in the Senate, but they want more, because they want to have somebody to share the blame with come reckoning time. The exception to this is the true believers like San Fran Nan who actually believe that this legislation will save our economy.

Now is not the time for bi-partisanship. Now is the time for the GOP to get back to its small government roots, and to find its voice as the opposition party. They also need to start coming up with some good alternatives to the tax and spend nonsense coming from across the aisle and finding a way to communicate those plans to the American people. Do this, and the GOP can easily replicate the 1994 takeover of the legislature. Capitulate to the Dems, and they will share the blame for the failures sure to follow this legislation, and will forfeit any right to criticize the majority party for its continued destruction of our country.