On Bipartisanship

Let's just say Main Street in your town was a two way street that ran East and West. If every one that wanted to go West did so on Main Street but if they wanted to go East, they did it on First Street, a block away. Does that make Main Street a one way street? And, does that make First Street a one way street? The answer to both questions is NO! People have just chosen to use those streets as one way streets.

The same thing happens in politics. In both the House and the Senate, there are bipartisan meetings in both committees and on the floor of both chambers, as well as behind closed doors. Many of the bills that have passed recently have had amendments in them that were proposed by the Republicans and welcomed by the Democrats hoping for a vote from the Republican side. There have been times when Republicans even co-sponsored a bill . . . then voted against it. So, the question has arisen, is a bill really bipartisan if no Republicans have voted for it? The answer is just like Main Street, just because no one has chosen to travel East on it, doesn't make it one way. Just because Republicans don't vote for a particular bill doesn't mean it isn't bipartisan.

Here are just a few of the recent compromises brought forth by Obama:
1. Expansion of the earned income tax credit.
(www.taxpolicycenter.org/briefing-book/key-elements/family/eitc.cfm)

2. Elimination of capital gains taxes for small businesses and start-ups. That is what was promised, but Obama had to settle for only reducing it.
(www.house.gov/billtext/hr1_cr_jesb.pdf)

3. Establish a small business initiative for rural America. Obama used the Stimulus package to expand financing and benefits for Small businesses and wants to expand it. But, the Republicans in Congress have held it up in committee.
(www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/promises/promise/25/establish-a-small-business-initiative-for-rural-am/)

4. Create a small business tax credit to help with health premiums. As part of the Health Care Reform Act recently signed was a small business tax credit. This is not a deduction from earned income, it is an actual tax credit. It is considered a compromise because as a concession to the Republicans, trying to get a few to vote for it, the Democrats agreed to not make it for more than the tax liability and that it would not be be paid in advance.
(www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/promises/promise/54/create-a-small-business-tax-credit-to-help-with-he/)

5. Strengthen antitrust laws to prevent overcharging for malpractice insurance. Not all the language that Obama wanted got into the Health Care Reform Act. But most of it did.
(www.govtrack.us/congress/bill.xpd?bill=h111-3590)

There are lots more. If you are interested, go to:
www.politifact.com/
And click on "Compromise"

If you want to know which promises he has actually fulfilled, you can go to the same URL and click on "Promises Kept." There are a few, very few, that he has not kept and will not keep, for those you will find them under the "Promises Broken" category.