2008 Woodie Awards
In age of terrorism, cordial promises of bipartisanship are poor substitute for desire and will to take action
James Marconi
Issue date: 1/25/07 Section: Opinion
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Appearances, it seems, must be kept up.
On Tuesday night, President George Bush delivered his seventh State of the Union Address in the House chamber. His previous six speeches began very simply, 'Mr. Speaker…" This time, however, was different, with a blatant and prominent mention of the fact that the traditional formality had to be altered to 'Madam Speaker,' in deference to the current holder of that position - Nancy Pelosi.
Bush's unconventional opening remarks also recognized the new Democratic majority in Congress, and called for bipartisan cooperation in pursuit of the government's ultimate goal - continued progress to ensure the safety and prosperity of the United States.
"Congress has changed, but not our responsibilities," Bush said. "Like many before us, we can work through our differences, and achieve big things for the American people… Our job is to make life better for our fellow Americans, and help them to build a future of hope and opportunity - and this is the business before us tonight."
By making these statements, the president reciprocated earlier promises made by Speaker of the House Pelosi to work with, not against, Republicans in shaping this nation's future.
How long these gestures, these words of good faith will last is anyone's guess. Already, though, the words have proven shallow, as both sides of the aisle have shown a particular unwillingness to give ground when it comes to actual policy. Pelosi has already pushed through her vaunted 100 hours' legislation, and Bush, fortunately, is still resolute with regards to American victory war on terror and in Iraq.
Still, this cordial reciprocity exchanged across party lines was utterly necessary. The Democratic majority cannot appear too radical, too brash in wielding their power. They were given this power based on the promise of change, yes, but many of their newest members ran on a more conservative platform, one which reached out to middle-of-the-road independents. To hold onto their seats, these members must at least make a token effort to adhere to this platform. The party leadership appreciates this fact, and will, for the time being, try to maintain an appearance of cooperation and good will.
On Tuesday night, President George Bush delivered his seventh State of the Union Address in the House chamber. His previous six speeches began very simply, 'Mr. Speaker…" This time, however, was different, with a blatant and prominent mention of the fact that the traditional formality had to be altered to 'Madam Speaker,' in deference to the current holder of that position - Nancy Pelosi.
Bush's unconventional opening remarks also recognized the new Democratic majority in Congress, and called for bipartisan cooperation in pursuit of the government's ultimate goal - continued progress to ensure the safety and prosperity of the United States.
"Congress has changed, but not our responsibilities," Bush said. "Like many before us, we can work through our differences, and achieve big things for the American people… Our job is to make life better for our fellow Americans, and help them to build a future of hope and opportunity - and this is the business before us tonight."
By making these statements, the president reciprocated earlier promises made by Speaker of the House Pelosi to work with, not against, Republicans in shaping this nation's future.
How long these gestures, these words of good faith will last is anyone's guess. Already, though, the words have proven shallow, as both sides of the aisle have shown a particular unwillingness to give ground when it comes to actual policy. Pelosi has already pushed through her vaunted 100 hours' legislation, and Bush, fortunately, is still resolute with regards to American victory war on terror and in Iraq.
Still, this cordial reciprocity exchanged across party lines was utterly necessary. The Democratic majority cannot appear too radical, too brash in wielding their power. They were given this power based on the promise of change, yes, but many of their newest members ran on a more conservative platform, one which reached out to middle-of-the-road independents. To hold onto their seats, these members must at least make a token effort to adhere to this platform. The party leadership appreciates this fact, and will, for the time being, try to maintain an appearance of cooperation and good will.
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