March 11, 2005
FANNING PARTISAN FLAMES:
Democrats Are Divided, as Some Back G.O.P. Bills (CARL HULSE, 3/11/05, NY Times)
Rapid-fire victories by Republicans on business-friendly legislation are exposing fissures among Democrats who are upset by their party's response to bills that sailed through in the early days of the Congressional session, with the latest example being the bankruptcy measure approved on Thursday.Members of the party's more liberal wing were openly frustrated that Republicans had ample Democratic help passing the bankruptcy bill on a 74-to-25 vote in the Senate. Eighteen Democrats and one independent joined with the Republicans. The legislation, which will make it harder for Americans to erase their debts, followed the approval last month of changes in class action laws intended to reduce the number of lawsuits against companies.
"This is not where we as Democrats ought to be, for crying out loud," said Senator Tom Harkin, Democrat of Iowa, after Republicans beat back amendment after amendment offered by Democrats in their efforts to soften the bankruptcy measure. "We are making a terrible mistake by thinking that we can have it both ways. We have to remember where our base is."
Is this really what we've come to? That Democrats voting for sensible legislation is a sign of "disunity"? They seem pretty unified on the stuff that matters to them, like preventing SS reform. Posted by Orrin Judd at March 11, 2005 11:45 PM
Hit 'em where they ain't.
Posted by: ghostcat at March 12, 2005 12:29 AMThose who voted for the bankruptcy reform should run on the Republican ticket. That is what they are.
Posted by: Peace at March 13, 2005 1:49 PM