Super Majorities with Bummer Priorities

Politics is supposed to be the second oldest profession. I have come to realize that it bears a very close resemblance to the first.

-Ronald Reagan

One of my favorite movies is ‘Dave’ with Kevin Kline. This movie is fabulously refreshing, not just because Kline is a goofy, comic, lovable hero, or because it has a feel good theme that leaves you with a sense of cheesy euphoria at the end. This movie is great because in its Hollywood way, it succinctly details one of the sad truths about Washington. All too often, while our elected officials are busy tearing each other down, campaigning for their next election and secretly hiding funding for a full service spa for chickens in defense bills (gotta keep their farming constituents happy after all), the real policy making is lost in the shuffle.

Let’s take a look at the many amazing accomplishments of the President’s current super majority in Congress. I would list them all, but.....um...other than a fairly un-stimulating economic stimulus bill, there is just not much to list. The thing about a ‘super majority’ is that it is ‘super’ for a reason (otherwise they would call it a ‘bummer majority’, which really doesn’t have the same ring to it). The tremendous voting power of their majority status should allow them to easily further their legislative priorities. Unfortunately between the in-fighting, political name calling and other acts of completely lunacy (please see my previous post for some great examples of aforementioned ‘lunacy’) not much is being accomplished.

Not that our democratic friends are the only ones to unproductively wither away their majority status. Republicans have had the same problem, and too often ‘super’ majorities waste their time with ‘bummer’ priorities.

The movie Dave, points out the way simple solutions often are overlooked, as politicians become wrapped up in the details of politics. This is common in many bureaucracies, and too often, the goal is forgotten along the way. Of course law making is a difficult process, but by prostituting themselves out to whatever interest group or constituency promises to bring them the most political capital at the moment, our elected officials are forced to add so many different ingredients to the batter the cake is unable rise.