Charlotte Observer Misinterprets Election Day Message

Leave it to a Charlotte Observer editor to completely misinterpret this past election. Mr. Taylor Batten wants us to believe that the spanking the Democrats received in November was due to a lack of bipartisanship in congress:


First, with approval ratings for Congress near historic lows, voters across the country sent a message on Nov. 2. Well, they sent multiple messages, but one of the main ones was this: We're sick and tired of Washington politicians putting party before country. We're fed up with Congress' failure to address the country's urgent challenges, from jobs to deficits to wars to clean energy. We want representatives who can work across the aisle to produce tangible progress, not endless gridlock

He then recommends a book for today’s members of Congress:

Up to a point. Today's members of Congress need to revisit the best-selling book "Getting to YES." Authors Roger Fisher and William Ury urge people in a negotiation to see the other side as partners in problem-solving, not adversaries. They urge negotiators to distinguish demands that are flexible from those that aren't. Washington doesn't do things this way. In Washington, all demands are inflexible, all players adversaries.

Oh and some form of group therapy:

Voters have to call out extremist politicians. A nascent effort around bipartisanship is taking shape. A group called No Labels will meet in New York on Dec. 13. It will bring together people of all persuasions but who share a common goal: Ending the polarization that grips America.


Only then can we get serious about keeping this country great.

I’ve some reading material for today’s Congressman. It’s called the U.S. Constitution, Federalist Paper, Anti-Federalist Papers, and the ratification debates by the original states. And we don’t even have to attend a therapy group.

Mr. Batten did get one part right: we’re fed up. We’re fed up with having legislation shoved down our throat. We’re fed up with legislatures thinking they can create jobs, when in fact they are the ones that have caused this economic disaster i.e. Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. We’re fed up with the patronage and bailouts. We’re fed up with the power grab by D.C. bureaucrats and politicians. And we’re fed up with this global warming nonsense.


There has been plenty of bipartisanship in D.C. and all of it is about conferring power to the central government. Democrats and Republicans are both guilty of this crap. Mr. Batten seems to have forgotten the number of RINO’s that went down in defeat. God willing, there will be many more bagged in two more years. We’ve seen enough bipartisanship. What we need is statesmanship.

Source: http://www.charlotteobserver.com/2010/12/05/1887613/congress-missing-election-day.html#ixzz17NuY87Ii