Today's Washington Post has a scathing rebuke of the House Democrats:
THE NEW Democratic House majority has an ambitious plan for its first 100 hours in power, from increasing the minimum wage to strengthening ethics rules to having the federal government negotiate prescription drug prices. Unfortunately, its plans don't include getting those provisions passed in the democratic fashion that the Democrats promised to adhere to once in the majority. When Republicans took over in 1995, they at least went through the motions of putting their "Contract With America" proposals through the normal committee process. Democrats under Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) have decided not to bother with that, nor to let Republicans offer amendments on the floor, nor even to put a GOP alternative up for a vote. This is exactly the kind of high-handed mistreatment that Democrats complained about, justifiably, when they were in the minority.
Of course the Democrats have not kept their promises. Decorum has been steadily breaking down between the two parties. The Democrats may be no more guilty than the Republicans for this, but they are no less guilty. I think the post is being a bit naive about all this, but it stands again as a relatively honest voice on the moderate left.
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