America, you are sick...

The diagnostics have returned from the lab, but it seems America has been infected with an insidious disease symptomatic of arrogance (read Republican Party) and a refusal to learn from your fallen counterparts (read Democratic Party).

Each of these posts exacerbate the problem President Obama, high ideals and all, has begun the process of rectifying.

First, the Republican Post. It is worth noting that Representative Price is junior congressman. He is not a podium through which the Republican party sends its official message. Actually, given the current national mood, the Republican party would be a masochistic at best to voice such an incendiary position right now. Then again, Rep. Price is from Georgia; the Democratic party will not be returning there for some time yet.

"Election Day 2008 produced a liberal governing majority that no one envisioned even as little as two years ago. The Democrats control both chambers of Congress as well as the Presidency. And while they are motivated by politics rather than solutions, Americans perceive them as the true agents of change and reform."

First, EVERYONE envisioned this majority two years ago. Those who missed the blatantly obvious message on that were, apparently, in Georgia. The House of Representatives AND Senate (that no one expected, though it was a nice Christmas gift) had been handed to the Democratic party by a President adverse to change, a Congress divided in partisan deadlock. Things weren't working, and change was coming. Face the music, Congressman, everyone knew that come the election cycle, you would be in the minority. Then again, apparently Georgia doesn't get CNN or Fox News.

Second, who is the Republican party to claim that ANYONE is motivated by politics at this point in the game. Eat some crow, and do it quietly, Congressman. Learn some lessons on what American politics are meant to be about: discourse and dialectics (a word I learned, just as an aside, while reading the most un-American of philosophers: Marx). How I wish I could point to my party as an example of this, but unfortunately, they have replaced the Republican party's arrogance with a lack of hindsight.

"The Big Question" is: Do the Dem(ocrat)s need bipartisanship?

I am so very disappointed that the closest thing to a yes came from the Bonjean Company (a public relations firm located in Washington D.C.) who said, "If the Democrats want a public relations win, it is vital that they do everything possible to make the stimulus bipartisan." Neither of the Congressmen quoted on the page demonstrated any tact or foresight (perhaps saying "Yes, absolutely. Even if we ultimately have a bill that the opposing party vehemently disagrees with, I want them in the room. Perspective breeds excellence, and that is what our nation deserves." Seriously, Congresspeople, I am a 23 year old student with no practical experience in politics, and I came up with that off the top of my head.).

Even worse is that the answer which draws the most attention had this to say: "President Obama has been leading the way for Democrats by demonstrating a new way of doing business in Washington. To date, the Republicans haven’t gotten the message." If bi-partisanship is your goal, wouldn't it behoove you to not slam the opposing party at every opportunity? Granted, the author of that quote is from ACORN (think slightly to the left of the ACLU), but it still fails the modern political litmus test (or what I believe it should be): how does this comment lead to a resolution of the issues facing our nation.

America needs both of these sides to pull their collective heads out of each other's asses. At this point in the game, our nation's livelyhood might actually be on the line.