October 23, 2006
Paul Krugman tells Democrats that, should they gain power in the upcoming election, it would be a mistake to give into calls for reconciliation and bipartisanship since that will not end the divisiveness that plagues the political process. Instead, Democrats need to stand strongly against any compromises to their core principles and values and fully investigate "the origins of the Iraq war and the cronyism and corruption that undermined it":
Don’t Make Nice, by Paul Krugman, If They Win..., Commentary, NY Times: Now that the Democrats are strongly favored to capture at least one house of Congress, they’re getting a lot of unsolicited advice, with many people urging them to walk and talk softly if they win.
I hope the Democrats don’t follow this advice — because it’s bad for their party and, more important, bad for the country. In the long run, it’s even bad for the cause of bipartisanship.
There are those who say that a confrontational stance will backfire politically on the Democrats. These are by and large the same people who told Democrats that attacking the Bush administration over Iraq would backfire in the midterm elections. Enough said.
Political considerations aside, American voters deserve to have their views represented in Congress. And according to opinion polls, ... the public wants politicians to stand up to corporate interests. ...(T}he latest Newsweek poll ... shows overwhelming public support for the agenda Nancy Pelosi has ... if she becomes House speaker. The strongest support is for her plan to have Medicare negotiate with drug companies for lower prices, which is supported by 74 percent of Americans — and by 70 percent of Republicans!
What the make-nice crowd wants most of all is for the Democrats to forswear any investigations into the origins of the Iraq war and the cronyism and corruption that undermined it. But it’s very much in the national interest to find out what led to the greatest strategic blunder in American history, so that it won’t happen again.
Snip...
As long as polarization is integral to the G.O.P.’s strategy, Democrats can’t do much, if anything, to narrow the partisan divide. Even if they try to act in a bipartisan fashion, their opponents will find a way to divide the nation — which is what happened to the great surge of national unity after 9/11. One thing we might learn from investigations is the extent to which the Iraq war itself was motivated by the desire to have another wedge issue.
more... When it comes to rubber stamp Republicans, it's party first (just ask the media's favorite maverick and so-called moderate Republican, McCain)!
Newsweek Poll conducted by Princeton Survey Research Associates International. Oct. 19-20, 2006. Nationwide. "As I read you some things the Democrats might do over the next two years if they take control of Congress, please tell me if you think each should be one of their TOP priorities, a lower priority, or should not be done at all. . . ." N=1,000 adults, MoE ± 3
..................................................One of Top Priorities...A Lower Priority...Not Done at All...Unsure
Allowing the government
to negotiate directly with
pharmaceutical companies to
lower drug prices for seniors....................74%....................18%....................6%.............2%
(any priority = 92%)
Increasing the minimum wage.................68%....................21%....................9%.............2%
(any priority = 89%)
Investigating charges of
impropriety or wrong-doing by
members of Congress.............................62%....................27%....................7%.............4%
Investigating government
contracts in Iraq.....................................58%....................29%....................8%.............5%
(any priority = 87%)
New rules to limit the
influence of lobbyists...............................52%....................29%....................9%.............10%
(any priority = 81%)
Enacting all the recommendations
of the 9/11 commission...........................52%....................30%....................7%.............11%
(any priority = 82%)
Investigating questions about
the decision to go to war with Iraq............52%....................25%....................19%.............4%
(any priority = 77%)
Broadening the kinds of stem
cell research that can receive
federal funding........................................44%....................31%....................19%.............6%
(any priority = 75%)
Rolling back some of the
Bush tax cuts..........................................38%....................28%....................28%.............6%
(any priority = 66%)
Impeaching George W. Bush.....................28%....................23%....................44%.............5%
(any priority = 51%)
Obviously, Americans want change!
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