Schieffer on Snowe's parting shot

I've never liked it when old people remind us things were better in their day, but here I go:

When I came to Washington back in 1969, things were a mess - the country was divided over Vietnam, and a wave of violence had taken the lives of two Kennedys and Martin Luther King Jr.

Yet, even in those difficult days, the government still functioned, and Congress was a much better place - it still passed significant legislation.

The Senate was a place of giants and a blend of all persuasions - Democrat John Stennis of Mississippi was a conservative; Republican Jake Javits of New York a liberal, Washington's Scoop Jackson was a hardliner on defense and a liberal on social issues.

Democrat Hubert Humphrey of Minnesota was a liberal's liberal, and Republican Barry Goldwater was a hard-core conservative.

They came and they went. But none of them left for the reasons given last week by Olympia Snowe, the moderate Maine Senator who said in so many words she was just tired of fooling with it - that the modern Senate with its "my way or the highway mentality" was no longer the place to accomplish anything.

Snowe is not the first to feel that way lately, just the first to say it aloud.

The Senate will be the worse for her absence, but it will survive. But what does it say about the state of our government and politics when serious people conclude that serving in the United States Senate is no longer worth their time and effort?

That's the part that should worry the rest of us.

[lonestar9000]

We consider ourselves threatened by "extremists" from other countries, yet more and more that is exactly what we are electing here in the U.S.

[cheeksforus]

I lived in Maine for about 6 years, nice place, if you like cold weather.

Lets move on and tell Bob to find another job also.

[cuchuck]

Schiefer is a crazy old fool - yep as we say out west he needs to be send out to pasture (some would suggest the glue factory).

As for Maine, give it back to Canada.

[Hollif50]

washmohickory: Let's see now: Your debt was less than a Trillion dollars when Carter left office. It was $2.6 Trillion when Reagan left office, It was $4.1 Trillion when Bush I left office, it was $5.6 Trillion and going back down when Clinton left office, it was 10.6 Trillion when Bush II left office, and in Obama's first term, after being hamstrung and opposed at every turn by Republicans blindly paying allegiance to policy enforcer "No tax increases of any kind" Grover Norquist, it stands at $15 Trillion now. When Republicans are willing to cut all those tax breaks, loopholes, giveaways, tax credits and the like for their corporate masters; we can discuss trimming entitlements and the budgets of other governmental departments; including Defense...Say a same percentage cut for everyone..Don't cry "wolf" when your party has been so busy throwing fresh meat all around the front door for decades....

[cntrygirl3]

I agree 100% with this although I think he should have defined what "hard core conservative" meant back then. Yes Barry Goldwater was hard core - on defense, on fiscal policy, on limited government. What he was NOT was he__ bent on a religious state, he once said Jerry Falwell should have his a-- kicked. He was not violently opposed to choice, or women's rights. And it would never even have occurred to him to mention contraception. He would have found the current senate and what passes for conservatives appalling. We elect these people and as long as we elect them this is what we will keep getting. Vote out CONGRESS every single incumbent up for reelection, all of them no matter which party.

[noloyalisti]

No such thing as a moderate Republicon let alone a liberal Republicon. The Republican Party is gone and now we have wacked out extremist right wing Republicons who are owned and run by the Top 1%. At the expense of the 99%.

[repubnut]

It sounds like she is the one saying,'
"my way or I grab my toys and go home". Personally, I am glad she is gone !!

[noloyalisti]

BTW, Obamacare is a COMPLIMENT. It is way past time we headed toward universal single payer health care like real countries of the world.

As far as moderates in the Senate, that would be the progressive Democrats. There is no such thing as a moderate Republicon. They are ALL for corporations above people.

[truthvtold]

No one seems to have mentioned that Snowe's "parting shot" was to help the Democrats pass the bill to force ObamaCare's newest mandates down America's throats this week.

"It was narrowly defeated in a 51 to 48 vote that broke largely along party lines.

Democrat Senators Ben Nelson of Nebraska, Bob Casey of Pennsylvania and Joe Manchin of West Virginia crossed party lines to vote with the Republicans, while Republican Senator Olympia Snowe voted with the Democrats."

This is why Snowe is a LIBERAL Republican and not a moderate! She has been flying under the moderate banner for the last 10-15 years of her Senate career. And Maine Republicans have had enough of her. She is quitting because she was facing defeat in her state.

[tom_gwynn]

"She is quitting because she was facing defeat in her state"? That's horsehooey. Senator Snowe is massively popular in Maine, and could easily have won reelection, which regardless of whether she's liberal or moderate would have kept the seat in Republican hands. But, speaking as a Democrat, please continue this purge of all the unorthodox in your party. They dare to voice an opinion not 100% in tune with saints Rush and Coulter? Run them out of office. They dare to represent what their constituents want, rather than kissing Grover Norquist's ring? Kick them out. They don't belong in your party, which must be philosophically and ideologically pure. Go RINO hunting, please, I'm begging you... because without the moderates you don't have a majority. And without a majority you can't do squat. But don't worry... I'll be cheering you along every step of the way.

[maistir]

Does "moderate" mean quitter? How does Snowe's resignation advance any cause at all, Bob? Or are we to believe that the senator is just too far above it all to descend to the level of a political struggle?

[mtownerman]

maistir - you missed the point entirely and epitomize what's wrong with the political system -and- most Americans political beliefs. They're so hell bent on "it's our way or the highway" mentality, that true compromise will not even be considered. So, NOTHING ever gets accomplished, i.e., no meaningful legislation that this country must have in order to prevent future catastrophic problems. So, Congress just continues to kick the can down the road and Bernanke just prints more money. Slap on a pair of the rose colored glasses...everything will work out just fine!!! Who cares if we're borrowing against the next generation, right??

[jdude2000]

when Harry Reid went "nuclear" for Obamacare, despite all his rhetoric when he and Obama were in the minority, showed that the Democratic party has no intention on compromising.....

Get rid of Harry Reid and Obama, and the Senate will function again!!!!