I agree with the polls indicating that the Democratic Congress is performing not much better than the President who now rolls to the bottom! Whatever I expected in terms of change, surely it has not happened. There has been no change in policy or legislation (hard to get too happy that they managed to get approved a change in the minimum wage).
And yet, I can understand why the Democrats have been unsuccessful. The rule of getting 60 votes in the Senate in order to proceed for a vote (with a majority)is unfair (to set a standard above the majority exceeds realistic expectations within the context of a democracy).
I am starting to think that the problem may be more ominous, viz., the Constitution as written.
The problem may relate to the vast difference between the time when the Constitution was devised and current affairs. Matters are so complex today that it is virtually impossible to develop a viable middle ground (i.e., sixty votes) on many issues.
If the current congressional standoff occurred within a parliamentary system, there would be a vote of no confidence and presumably, in the instance, there would be a new election. The Bush Era would be over.
In our situation, we are witnessing the inability of the Democrats to address their constituents who voted for a change in policy in Iraq and the rules of Congress that prohibit the change.
I am hoping that brains will recognize that the inability to move forward signals trouble for our Democracy and they will make the necessary modifications in their legislative proposals to win sufficient votes to proceed with change, even if modest.
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