The Manufactured Divide

I’m a Divider not a Uniter

That is what can be said of Nancy Pelosi (D) CA, the leader of the Democrats in the House, a Democratic “hyperpartisan.” In Perry Bacon, Jr.’s piece written in Times magazine everything that you’ve speculated about Democratic partisanship and obstructionism seems to be confirmed. (Click on Manufactured above)

"I pride myself in being called a liberal" and "I don't consider myself a moderate." –Nancy Pelosi

President Bush who once claimed that he was an uniter and not a divider did not count on the likes of Nancy Pelosi who has made it her business to divide the body politics of this nation.

Bacon reports that House Democrats have united in almost monolithic unquestioning Nazi like Jackboot fashion behind Pelosi, House Democrats have been more unified in their voting than at any other time in the past quarter-century, with members on average voting the party line 88% of the time in 2005, according to Congressional Quarterly.

Democrats obstructed the President’s plan to reform Social Security and according to Bacon it was the Democrat’s united opposition to President Bush as well as Democratic plotting against the President that was able to push the President’s poll numbers down to 38% as indicated in a TIME poll.

When Bush announced his Social Security plan last year, Pelosi told House Democrats they could never beat him in a straight-ahead, policy-against-policy debate because he had the megaphone of the presidency and was just coming off re-election. So the Democrats would thunderously attack Bush and argue there was no Social Security crisis and therefore no need for them to put out their own proposal. Some members were leery, concerned that Pelosi would make the Democrats look like the Party of No. As the spring of 2005 wore on, some pestered her every week, asking when they were going to release a rival plan. "Never. Is never good enough for you?" Pelosi defiantly said to one member.

The Democrats won the Social Security battle Pelosi's way. That earned her credit with her colleagues, who have embraced her overall strategy.

In line with Pelosi’s bidding most Democrats opposed all G.O.P. bills in the House throughout the past year. What that means to you and I is that the people’s business has gone undone while Democrats play politics in a blatant attempt to gain power in November 2006. And to further politicize matters misleadingly Democrats publicly renounce the Congress as a “Do nothing Congress” in order to deceive the voting public by suggest that it is Republican incompetence instead of Democrat obstructionism that is preventing action in the House.

Pelosi and her counterpart in the Senate Minority Leader Senator Harry Reid (D) Nevada have effectively but inappropriately used the checks and balance power of the senate to stop a Republican lead Senate and a Republican President from exercising their majority control of the U.S. government.

Throughout the past year, Pelosi has demanded that Democrats unanimously oppose G.O.P. bills. By denying the G.O.P votes from across the aisle, Democrats have forced moderate Republicans to back bills like those cutting Medicaid and other social programs that fiscally conservative Republicans have insisted on, votes for which Democrats have then attacked moderate Republicans in television ads. Pelosi has also ordered Democrats not to work on bills or even hold press conferences with Republicans whom the party is trying to defeat in November. Pelosi has orchestrated almost complete political gridlock.

Democrats have formed an Out of Iraq caucus that was poised to call for the prompt and immediate withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraq. However, Pelosi has convinced them to allow John Murtha to be the lead for Democrats calling for troop withdrawal.

Following Congresswoman Pelosi’s leadership the Democrats have effectively become the party of opposition but what remains to be seen is can Democrats earn crossover votes from the majority of Americans that elected George W. Bush chiefly when their leadership, Pelosi in particular has engaged in such divisive politicking?

Lead by Pelosi who is truly a divider and not a uniter Democrats have become the party of “dissent and divide” when it comes to American politics. Due to the lack of any plan to keep America safe from terrorism and keep America moving forward the Democrats are not deserving of leadership in November’s elections and should not be voted into control of the House or the Senate.