Fewer moderates in Congress, more gridlock?

CBS/iStockphoto

When the next Congress cranks up in January, there will be more women, many new faces and fewer tea party-backed House Republicans from the class of 2010.

Overriding those changes, though, is a thinning of centrist veterans in both parties. Among those leaving are some of the Senate's most pragmatic lawmakers, nearly half the House's centrist Blue Dog Democrats and several moderate House Republicans.

That could leave the parties more polarized even as President Barack Obama and congressional leaders talk up the cooperation needed to tackle complex, vexing problems such as curbing deficits, revamping tax laws and culling savings from Medicare and other costly, popular programs.

"This movement away from the center, at a time when issues have to be resolved from the middle, makes it much more difficult to find solutions to major problems," said William Hoagland, senior vice president of the Bipartisan Policy Center, a private group advocating compromise.

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In the Senate, moderate Scott Brown, R-Mass., lost to Democrat Elizabeth Warren, who will be one of the most liberal members. Another GOP moderate, Richard Lugar of Indiana, fell in the primary election. Two others, Kay Bailey Hutchison of Texas and Olympia Snowe of Maine, are retiring.

Moderate Democratic senators such as Kent Conrad of North Dakota, Herb Kohl of Wisconsin, Ben Nelson of Nebraska, James Webb of Virginia are leaving, as is Democratic-leaning independent Joe Lieberman.

While about half the incoming 12 Senate freshmen of both parties are moderates, new arrivals include tea party Republican Ted Cruz of Texas, conservative Deb Fischer of Nebraska, and liberals such as Tammy Baldwin of Wisconsin and Hawaii's Mazie Hirono.

There's a similar pattern in the House.

"Congress seems to be going in the opposite direction of the country, just as the country is screaming for solutions to gridlock," said Democratic strategist Phil Singer.

[curtis41]

Greed is good. So is gridlock. It keeps foolish politicians from doing foolish things, at least it works some of the time, for some politicians. Where was the gridlock when, in a Democrat majority. we got no budgets passed? I guess the Republicans joined in, for we STILL did not get a budget, as required by law. Gridlock-type protections are built into Constitutional amendments and other things important. Unfortunately for Americans, Congress continues to spend money like they could just print more if needed. Pun intended. The usual Democrat solution is to tax people who actually work and earn money, invest it, take risks, and are usually fiscally savvy, into oblivion, thinking this quick fix will sustain even more wild, reckless, irresponsible spending. The underlying current in all this is that power corrupts, and no politician is willing to do anything that diminishes that power over ordinary citizens. Government interventionism, from cradle to grave, thenb rob the graves (actually the recently departed) in the form of inheritance taxes, that even China and the Russians do not do. Of course, that permits taxing at the rate of 55% now for a million dollar estate. The practical effect of this stupidity is to have farm families have to sell the farm to pay for the inheritance taxes, on a farm that may have taken generations to build. You have the Pelosi-like folks, willing to raid 401k accounts for 10% off the top, a great concession from the 15% value, increase the taxes on the top 2%, so that 50% of all taxpayers pay around 3% of all federal taxes collected. Then, the hypocrites call for fairness. They would not know fairness if they fell over it. My suggestion, get government hands out of people's pockets who work, take risks and invest and earn their money. Keep regulations down to say, under a million per year, and try not to strangle small businesses. Apparently, many Democrats do not know this is the source of most jobs in the U.S., not unions, or union bosses, or the middle class. Jobs are created by hard work, and the government does not do it, the owners of those businesses do it in spite of the help they are given.

[audemus]

Those members of Congress who want to sit around on their smug, wide ***** and keep fiddling while Washington and America burn, need to be shown the door. The American People have spoken, and 4 more years of "B.S. Bidness as Usual", will not be tolerated. If it's Constitutional to impeach the bastards and *******, do so...if it's not Constitutional....do it anyway.

[Ulgnud]

If gridlock is the only thing now that protects us from fiscally irresponsible spending then maybe we should let it happen.

[DJPEsq]

You Own It !

We BORROW $4 Billion EVERY DAY !

Sometime in 2024 we shall be bankrupt ! The streets will be chaos, like modern day Greece.

As an Independent, I say, "a pox on both your houses."

Still you voted for BO ! ... You are dummies, all.

Your grandkids will be fiscally enslaved ...
and

You Own It !

[sandiegopete]

Recently I viewed the excellent film "Lincoln". Early in the film some soldiers quoted the Gettysburg Address. It cause me to wonder when the Republican party changed from the party "of the people, by the people, for the people" changed to the party "of the job creators, by the job creators, for the job creators". For that matter, I also wondered when the Democratic Party changed from its roots to a party more like the Republicans of the mid 19th century.

It think it is time for both major parties to move closer to their roots and work together for the best interests of all the people of our great nation. The government of the United States was founded as a system where opposing political philosophies would be required to compromise their own beliefs in order to reach a tempered agreement on legislation. That is the basis of the checks and balances built into our constitution.

Our elected representatives, of both major parties, need to return to our founding principles and work for legislation that does not favor just one or two portions of our society but instead strenghtens our nation as a whole. The first step in that process is to understand that no one side has a monopoly on what it good for our nation.

[sandiegopete]

I wish I could edit the comment to correct grammatical and typographical errors.

[nfission235]

They ALL need to figure it out for the American people. No more gridlock or we will vote again and boot them out. The country voted for Obama because we liked his plan better. So Congress needs to implement the plan and make it work for US, not what the Republicans want or just the Dems but what the American people want. We voted, our voices have been heard, and now it's time to make it happen and roll it out.

[fiddlestickawshucks]

Whatever makes you thin any of the attitudes ofany of the politicians in DC have changed.?

Within two days of the election the Democrooks and the Repugnanticans were taking up right where they left off before the election.

How much longer is it going to take; and how many more destructive and corrupt actions on the part of Obama and Congress is it going to take to make you realize these people don't give a fat rat's ass what the American people want.??!!!

[fiddlestickawshucks]

Whatever makes you thin any of the attitudes ofany of the politicians in DC have changed.?

Within two days of the election the Democrooks and the Repugnanticans were taking up right where they left off before the election.

How much longer is it going to take; and how many more destructive and corrupt actions on the part of Obama and Congress is it going to take to make you realize these people don't give a fat rat's ass what the American people want.??!!!

[fiddlestickawshucks]

I just heard some guy; on CNN; say" it's an American tradition not to think well of Congress".

Maybe if Congress started to indicate they are on the side of the American people instead of playing political games with our lives; the opinion of the American people toward Congress might change.!!

[hypnotoad72]

Agreed.

Here are some examples of GOP attitudes toward this country:

http://thinkprogress.org/politics/2011/04/14/158424/republican-leaders-debt-limit-hypocrisy/

and something that's a little more bipartisan:

http://www.ontheissues.org/SenateVote/Party_2005-63.htm

[eroteme2]

I would like to learn the definition of 'moderates'. It is my understanding 'moderates' are Republicans, never heard of a 'moderate' Democrat. I would guess a 'moderate' is a Republican who leans toward the Democrat party and is a mainstream media admirer.

[rksharma-2009]

Almost all democrats are moderates as they continue voting for lower taxes for the rich. They have voted for republican wars, and more. So we really don't have many progressive democrats. Most republicans are hard core right wing republicans. Very few are who come close to supporting some democratic agenda. No one really thinks about the people. Once they get there, they start raising money for the next election and sell their sole to those devils.

[hypnotoad72]

You don't see Obama's hiring of TARP agent Geithner, Petraeus, and Bush's fellow Bernanke?

Man, you really need to open your eyes if you expect people to blindly believe your tripe... Obama has done the compromise and bipartisan thing - several times - yet you accuse HIM of the one who isn't moderate. And I've posted links to you on this in the (not too recent recent) past. So go look them up and then ask yourself why you remain so delusional?

[Rick_Carter1]

The system of government is out of date and broken down. Have fun finding someone to fix it for you all, because I will NEVER be back to try and do it again for you. No one in their right mind would try to fix this country after this next (2012 - 2016) presidential term. Bye, bye! - RC

[troutfishman]

so which country has a better system?

[pedalit]

when and how did you try to fix it before? i don't recognize your name

[joesapper]

Here a secret so don't tell anyone , the sales pitch has struck out at the door of companies .
And since companies have not bought into the sales pitch of fast talk blame game tactics , IT IS OVER FOR FAST TALK , unless some hard action is taken to correct the direction of decline , the gap will only become a great divide .

Walmart is the target of marches , wow 70% of America shops at Walmart , whats next , the church or the boyscouts ? Perhaps members should pay a fee for their doctrines and constitutions ?

[troutfishman]

Why are workers marching at Walmart? Do you know? Do you care?

[hypnotoad72]

troutfishman -

I think Joe cares. No, we don't agree with him on everything (obviously), but I think it's safe to say that we're all consciously aware of the decline and, to varying extents, understand why. And, being human, we're all capable of not having all the details.

Depending on what hard action is taken, how well it's spelled out, etc, some people aren't going to agree. But, right now, it's just a slow agonizing ride. As workers do more work for less pay, while higher education costs more (and finds every excuse to provide less; I'm amazed more students aren't writing congressmen and other officials since even the government a year or so ago started to investigate colleges' exorbitant costs, teaching outdated information, letting any warm body hang around as it's a source of cheap profit, engaging in grade inflation, and fleecing both our government and our working class all at the same time. It's amazing this sham still is allowed to exist, but as they say, "regulations hurt the economy". Apparently, lack of regulations can do far more harm when the "freedom" is given to those who exploit, fleece, con, and gut...)