http://shortformblog.com/politics/arlen-specter-wins-a-cookie-for-this-point-on-bipartisanship/ Read a little. Learn a lot. Wed, 21 Dec 2011 16:05:11 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3 http://shortformblog.com/politics/arlen-specter-wins-a-cookie-for-this-point-on-bipartisanship/comment-page-1/#comment-6397 teachj Thu, 31 Dec 2009 02:00:40 +0000 http://shortformblog.com/?p=20198#comment-6397 I think if you look at the history of the United States, the Senate has generally been a moderating force. Most things that have been pushed through Congress with slim majorities have been horrible failures that later had to be cleaned up at a high cost. When there has been a general bi-partisan support, it usually has been a positive reform that most people in the country agreed upon. The problem we have today is not in the Senate, but in the populace. The people of this country are deeply divided and the two parties do nothing but promote that division. This prevents moderate candidates from winning primaries and bringing real compromise solutions to the table. What is really needed are term limits in Congress and an end to gerrymandered districts. That would solve much more than stopping debate in the Senate - which is a positive, although messy part of democracy. I think if you look at the history of the United States, the Senate has generally been a moderating force. Most things that have been pushed through Congress with slim majorities have been horrible failures that later had to be cleaned up at a high cost. When there has been a general bi-partisan support, it usually has been a positive reform that most people in the country agreed upon. The problem we have today is not in the Senate, but in the populace. The people of this country are deeply divided and the two parties do nothing but promote that division. This prevents moderate candidates from winning primaries and bringing real compromise solutions to the table. What is really needed are term limits in Congress and an end to gerrymandered districts. That would solve much more than stopping debate in the Senate — which is a positive, although messy part of democracy.

]]> http://shortformblog.com/politics/arlen-specter-wins-a-cookie-for-this-point-on-bipartisanship/comment-page-1/#comment-5015 teachj Wed, 30 Dec 2009 21:00:40 +0000 http://shortformblog.com/?p=20198#comment-5015 I think if you look at the history of the United States, the Senate has generally been a moderating force. Most things that have been pushed through Congress with slim majorities have been horrible failures that later had to be cleaned up at a high cost. When there has been a general bi-partisan support, it usually has been a positive reform that most people in the country agreed upon. The problem we have today is not in the Senate, but in the populace. The people of this country are deeply divided and the two parties do nothing but promote that division. This prevents moderate candidates from winning primaries and bringing real compromise solutions to the table. What is really needed are term limits in Congress and an end to gerrymandered districts. That would solve much more than stopping debate in the Senate - which is a positive, although messy part of democracy. I think if you look at the history of the United States, the Senate has generally been a moderating force. Most things that have been pushed through Congress with slim majorities have been horrible failures that later had to be cleaned up at a high cost. When there has been a general bi-partisan support, it usually has been a positive reform that most people in the country agreed upon. The problem we have today is not in the Senate, but in the populace. The people of this country are deeply divided and the two parties do nothing but promote that division. This prevents moderate candidates from winning primaries and bringing real compromise solutions to the table. What is really needed are term limits in Congress and an end to gerrymandered districts. That would solve much more than stopping debate in the Senate — which is a positive, although messy part of democracy.

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