Friday, January 05, 2007

All hail Speaker Pelosi

What Conason says:
    After the Democrats have fulfilled their vow to take action during the new session's "first 100 hours," there will still be plenty of time to show that they can wield the majority gavel with more decency and decorum than their most recent predecessors.

    Frankly, that won't be difficult, but it can wait.

    In her first remarks as speaker Thursday, Pelosi made all the proper noises about healing, unity, partnership, working together, respecting everybody's opinions and being the leader of the entire House. But as the Republicans have repeatedly proved over the past decade or so, bipartisanship is overrated. Now that they're in the minority, the Republicans may claim that there is nothing more wonderful than the two parties working together, debating everything openly, and treating each other as they would wish to be treated themselves. But they never allowed those old-fashioned values to get in the way of anything that actually matters to them, such as cutting taxes on their wealthy contributors or winning elections...

    ...If the Republicans play a constructive role as the new Congress opens, then Pelosi ought to reward them by treating them as the partners they claim to be. In principle, she should live up to the ideals of fairness that she articulated as the leader of the minority. But if the Republicans choose to obstruct, then she must be tough -- just as tough as the Republicans were when they sought to pass the "Contract With America" in 1995.

    Two years from today, and for many years to come, what the nation's voters will remember is whether the first woman speaker lived up to her promise to move swiftly and decisively on the issues that returned her party to power. Being nice to the Republicans will be no excuse for failing to do so.
The parade of whining republicans viewers were treated to on the talking head shows yesterday is proof that republicans are irony-deficient. Let's hope Speaker Pelosi continues to treat them with politeness and without mercy, for they deserve none.

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