Bipartisan Workshop Aims to End Gridlock

[Rose Siding]

MINNEAPOLIS Jan 7, 2005 — Minnesota legislators, plagued by enough drama and disagreement for a season's worth of plot lines on a reality TV series, decided they needed group therapy. About 75 senators and representatives voluntarily attended a workshop, "Beyond Bickering and Gridlock," that hoped to answer a question that plagues state lawmakers across the country and members of Congress alike: "Can't we all just get along?"

It's an important question as the 2005 session gets under way. Last year's session, which crashed and burned after a partisan stalemate, produced few accomplishments but plenty of raw feelings and grudges.

That lack of results is seen as a major factor in Democrats picking up 13 House seats formerly held by Republicans. Since then, lawmakers have been giving major lip service to the need for bipartisanship.
...
When workshop attendees shared their feelings, they did find common ground mainly when they talked about what's causing the lack of civility. Among the culprits mentioned were the media, interest groups, legislative leaders, committee chairmen, a campaign season that never seems to end, and strict ethics rules that some lawmakers said inhibits them from socializing with each other.

Robling said many legislators have had their hands tied in recent years by promises they've made to activists in order to get party support.

http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory?id=392177&CMP=OTC-RSSFeeds0312

R.O.F.L. -a surge of support for Democrats and *now* it's Time To Be Bipartisan

[cyclezealot]

1. Maybe Minnesota is different.

But with the likes of Delay running things..Repug. house officials are trying to find ways to deny Democrats a role in law making...
To work with such Repugs as Delay represents is collusion with the enemy...Recall Gingrich attempted to deny lobbysists access to Repug. leadership if they donated or collabarated with Democratic lawmakers..

[Jacobin]

2. And, bring your own anal lube, please

[moggie12]

3. Okay, I'm a naive person, but that sounds

a little hopeful, doesn't it? (I especially liked the sheep farmer who said they're all like sheep sometimes, blindly following the Party line.) True, bi-partisanship "broke out" when Dems won seats, but still, maybe there's finally some revulsion over what our political process has become. Not all politicians are sleazy, I think: Some good ones struggle in a broken system. This sounds like an attempt to look at what's wrong with the process. (I know, I know, I warned you I was naive).

[cyclezealot]

4. DC bipartianship..A joke..

GW tries to ramrod wackos by denying Dem. Senators the right to fillibuster after what they did to Clinton's appointees..
And some effort by Hastert now, to segregate Democratic bills so they do not get a hearing.. Our legislators are corporate paid shrills and for those who aren't..You have no roll in the legislative process...