| How difficult it must be to belong to the group of self-proclaimed centrists who believe there's a happy medium between today's Radical Republicans (many of whom hold elective office), their Tepid Democratic peers (many of whom quake at the sight of their own shadow), and Leftist Socialist Democrat Marxists who tilt at windmills via Cheeto-stained keyboards from the safety of their mom's basement.
Curtis Hubbard voices his angst in today's Denver Post without making the plain and simple point that he could (well, if Dean Whatzizname weren't his boss). Curtis begins by quoting Governor John Hickenlooper:
"While Washington struggles with fiscal cliffs and partisan fights, Colorado demonstrates there is still room for compromise and moderation.".
There are 32 fresh faces in the 100-member legislature who may not remember it, but last year's session ended on an acrimonious note when the governor called a special session in hopes of forcing a vote on a civil unions bill essentially killed by Republicans in the waning hours of the 120-day General Assembly. In overtime, they killed it again.
Eight months later, Hickenlooper wants us to believe that politics in the statehouse is all unicorns and bunnies, where Democrats and Republicans walk hand-in-hand gazing at mountains and rainbows. Republicans pulled a bunch of crap during the last legislative session to kill a bill that will make the inevitable closer to reality and that was sure to pass in the very near future:
With Democrats back in control of both chambers this year, the civil unions bill is expected to be among the first signed into law. On Wednesday, every Democratic lawmaker had signed on as a sponsor. Contrast that to one Republican - Rep. Cheri Gerou, R-Evergreen.
Democrats must be bad because they brought the bill to the floor, or something...
But Hickenlooper is the fulcrum on which bipartisanship must balance, and he must be at the halfway point, no matter that halfway between both sides has moved to halfway to Mars, for there to be bipartisanship and the guaranteed praise of Hubbard and the Post:
The governor is trying to play it somewhere close to the middle.
He may have to fend off fellow Democrats as he seeks to boost the state's reserves, confront legislation aimed at rewarding organized labor and support rules on oil and gas drilling that many in his party think are tilted in favor of the industry.
On the flip side, Republicans are likely to view with suspicion plans to expand Medicaid, stricter controls on guns and talk of tax increases for education.
"They're setting us up where the only option is to put a tax increase to the vote of the people," Waller said. "That's what's going to happen here."
It's not all Kumbaya in the Capitol.
Is there a reason it's "not all Kumbaya"? Hubbard pretends not to know.
Is raising taxes to invest in education a good policy? In Hubbard's world that's a tough question, even as Colorado's schools are mired in mediocrity.
Are Republicans and Democrats equally responsible for the inaction of government? Colorado's voters spoke clearly this November. Hubbard won't, or can't, say who has the more responsible policies and political capital to implement them.
He's too busy looking for unicorns......and bipartisanship. |
