Compromise...I know it is verboten round these parts to speak of thee

[BlueStreak]

40. Compromise is required. The issue is FAIR compromise. What does that look like?

Last edited Mon Nov 12, 2012, 03:52 PM - Edit history (2)

A FAIR compromise reflects the will of the people. We have a very clear understanding of the will of the people because this election was cast as a clear referendum on the direction Obama has taken the past 4 years and the very different economic and social policies Romney and the other Republican candidates represented.

The President won in a huge landslide -- a very clear mandate. While the popular vote was close, that was mainly a function of Citizen's United forcing Obama to limit campaigning to a minority of states. Without C.U. the popular vote would have been as one-sided as the electoral vote was.

The Senate, despite all predictions from earlier in 2012, went overwhelmingly for Democrats. Democrats added 2 seats when they were expected to lose at least 5. Again, that is a clear-cut mandate in the Senate.

In the House, we picked up a fair number of seats, but did not take control of the body. Decades of redistricting have created a situation where 2/3 of the districts are no longer contested, so we didn't have the opportunity for such a clear-cut mandate in those races, but clearly the movement is in our direction and therefore any compromises must reflect that reality.

So here is a simple way we will know if Obama is making a FAIR compromises or if he is selling us out. Any compromise bill passed in the Senate must have at least 90% support of the Democratic Senators, and we'd hope to bring a significant number of GOP Senators on board. If McConnell decides to keep obstructing then screw it. No compromise. We put all of our attention to get him out of office in 2014.

Likewise in the House, any compromise legislation must have at least 90% of the House Democrats on board. And again we'd hope to bring on 100 GOP Representatives. That's about 170 Democrats and ~100 Republicans. That means that Boehner must be willing to pass legislation without the teabaggers in his caucus. If that doesn't happen, there should be no compromise at all. Let the Bush cuts expire. Let the sequester kick in. Let the debt ceiling expire and hold Boehner accountable for that.