The Republican strategy of obstruction is working. The latest Pew poll shows Congressional Favorability Falls to 24-Year Low
Former Senate Republican Whip Trent Lott, R-Miss, didn’t hide his goals. “The strategy of being obstructionist can work or fail…and so far it’s working for us,” he told Roll Call in April of 2007.
We call the technique “block and blame.” Obstruct all progress, and blame Democrats for getting nothing done. We documented it carefully in the previous (110th) session of Congress. Republicans set a new record for filibusters.
Bob Borosage called it “knee-capping the postman and then complaining that the mail is late.” (July 30, 2008).
He predicted, “They’ll bring down the temple in the hope that both parties will be equally discredited in the rubble.” (August 2, 2007)
Sadly, his prediction is proving true. People still agree with Democrats on most issues, but they don’t parse the partisan bickering. It just looks like dysfunction in Congress, and the Democrats are in charge. As Pew puts it, “this could take a toll on the Democrats in the 2010 midterm elections.”
