For this Congress, no piece of legislation is a “win-win.” Instead of TKTKTKTK, villains and heroes are universally recognized after a law is passed.
The payroll tax cut and government shutdown hostage situation is a perfect example of this dynamic in action. Both parties agree that the payroll tax cut needs to be extended, but Republicans want to defeat the president so bad they want to pass a $1 trillion bill to fund the government and put off negotiations for the payroll tax cut until next year. [[PUT A SENTENCE ON WHAT THIS WOULD ACCOMPLISH FOR REPUBLICANS]]. The White House, on the other hand, announced yesterday that they want Congress to pass another stopgap measure to stave off a shut down [[HOW WOULD A STOPGAP MEASURE ALLOW THIS? so a payroll tax cut compromise can be reached before legislators head home for the holidays.]]
No matter who is the victor is-or in more realistic terms, who gets the least share of the blame-come the weekend, [[THIS DIRECTLY CONTRADICTS YOUR PREMISE IN THE FIRST GRAF neither party or branch of government comes out looking too good in the aggregate]]. This battle is only the latest in the long 112th Congress war, a gruesome affair with multiple instances of the government almost being shutd own and lots of legislation that would help millions of Americans never leaving the drawing board. Both parties should reconsider how they approach governing-a strategy where only one party can win, even on issues they both agree on-is why the public is not likely to look kindly on incumbents come November. A strategy, not of bipartisanship, but not of brinkmanship either, might be worth consideration for both parties next year.
The GOP presidential candidates are an implicit winner of the last Congressional battle of 2011, no matter which side in Congress wins the spoils of bringing the good news back home and bragging rights in the media. Americans already think more highly of telemarketers and car salespeople than they do members of Congress, so the current stalemate simply reinforces the idea that the political status quo isn’t working. And at this point, no matter what victory the White House manages to force out of Capitol Hill, if any, the protracted process and Obama’s inability to force legislators to quick action (no matter the unfairness of this expectation) cannot compete with the GOP candidates’ ability to offer impossible campaign promises that will die after the votes are won. In a battle between messy governance and hopey-changey campaign rhetoric, Aaron Sorkinisms always win.
