“What the heck is a power-sharing agreement? And why do we need one?”
Two very good questions that seem to be on most peoples’ lips who pay attention to these things. For those who don’t pay attention — lucky you!
It seems that the former majority leader of the U.S. Senate, Mitch McConnell, still thinks he is in charge of everything that happens in Washington.
So much so that he demanded the Democrats promise not to get rid of the time-honored Senate process known as the filibuster (think “Mr. Smith Goes to Washington”) before he would relinquish the majority leader’s gavel to Sen. Chuck Schumer so the Democrats could enjoy having the majority — albeit by the slimmest of margins — in the Senate.
Not sure who blinked first, but the roles have now flipped and the Democrats are firmly in control of the Senate.
Not really.
There is still that pesky filibuster thing that many senators from both sides of the aisle don’t want to see go away. As an aside, if the roles were reversed and the circumstances warranted it, Sen. McConnell would be the first person to dump the pretense of comity and say, ”Filibuster be damned. Power to the people — the Republican people who know how to use and abuse that power!”
But, the Democrats are in charge and they have a different view of how to use power. First, they fight among themselves so that there is no cohesive plan to get anything of merit accomplished. Second, they continue to fight among themselves, which allows a cohesive GOP to continue to abuse the Democratic side of the aisle.
Most of this is “inside baseball,” so the general public pays little attention. What the voters do see is a clear lack of action on their behalf — action they think they voted for last November — and that is cause for more concern that this democracy isn’t quite working the way it should be.
I believe, however, that what we think we see may not quite be what really is — which is a common state of affairs in a working democracy. Yes, this democracy is working — grindingly slow and frustratingly slower, but working.
And that is a marked difference from just a couple of weeks ago when nothing and nobody was working on behalf of Americans.
At the end of the day, I think President Joe Biden is fine with the filibuster intact. Even though it means that a single Republican can slow the president’s roll, it is consistent with Biden’s message of unity with both sides working together for the good of the country.
I, and many millions of other voters, hope that will be the case. That so many people —seemingly dispossessed of rational thought — can throw off the authoritarian and cultish chains by which they allowed themselves to become enthralled, and re-enter the democratic workplace where citizens strive to perfect this union. Where people of goodwill can once again work together to make good things happen for Americans who need something good to happen in their lives right now.
After all, aren’t most Americans sick of the gridlock-induced anxiety in Washington and the continued failure of leaders in Congress to get anything done?
One question is how long will Biden’s good cheer support his desire to give goodwill a chance to take hold? And how long will the Democrats in the Senate allow the Republicans to thwart any effort to get the big things done for America that, frankly, need to get done.
Think real COVID-19 relief, finally fixing structural health care faults, and long-delayed infrastructure plans to go forward before bridges, roads, railways and tunnels, pipes and dams collapse. Think financial relief for so much of the country that has been crushed by COVID and cratered by the economy.
You know, think about the little things that used to make America great!
I think the answer to those and other of life’s questions lies exactly where it always has in the United States of America. And that is squarely in the palms of our hands.
Yes, the real question is how long will ordinary, everyday Americans put up with Democrats fighting among themselves and Republicans fighting with everyone who isn’t them? And how long will the overwhelming number of Americans put up with un-American insurrectionists who believe it is their God-given right to fight their government with guns and their neighbors with violence? And how long —in seconds— should we put up with the elected officials who encourage and abet those criminal activities?
The answer to those questions vital to our country’s future does not depend upon the filibuster or any power-sharing agreement that makes no sense to anyone who isn’t in the Senate. The answer has everything to do with the people and their willingness to act.
This past election saw an extraordinary number of voters cast their voices in favor of change and civility.
I believe that President Biden understands that message clearly — he should because it is his message — and will do his best to make sure the work gets done.
Time will tell if the Republicans in the U.S. Senate got that same message. But they shouldn’t take too much time. The clock is ticking. And the people are getting sicker and more tired of waiting.
Brian Greenspun is editor, publisher and owner of the Sun.
Where I Stand:
There is time for comity, just not too much
Sun, Jan 31, 2021 (2 a.m.)