Bush: What the Congress Can Do for America

President Bush has now written an editorial from the Wall Street Journal:

Tomorrow, members of the 110th Congress will take their oaths of office here in Washington. I will have the privilege of working with them for the next two years--one quarter of my presidency, plenty of time to accomplish important things for the American people.

Together, we have a chance to serve the American people by solving the complex problems that many don't expect us to tackle, let alone solve, in the partisan environment of today's Washington. To do that, however, we can't play politics as usual. Democrats will control the House and Senate, and therefore we share the responsibility for what we achieve.

In the days and weeks since the November elections, I have been encouraged by the productive meetings I've had with many of the new leaders in Congress from both parties. I am hopeful we can find common ground without compromising our principles.

You've got to love the Bush PR-spin here. For three quarters of his presidency, George Bush was responsible for creating the divisive, "partisan environment of today’s Washington." For three quarters of his presidency, George Bush chose politics over policy on the issues that this country faces. For three quarters of his presidency, George Bush has refused to compromise with the Democrats on any law, issue, or policy. For three quarters of his presidency, George Bush both ignored the Democrats' views on issues, and then demonized the Democrats for expressing opposition to his neoconservative ideology. For three quarters of his presidency, George Bush forced the Republicans in Congress to subvert themselves as a rubber-stamp to be used at George Bush's whim, rather than to be a co-equal branch of government.

And now look at what Bush is saying in this Journal article. With the Democrats now taking control of Congress, George Bush is asking the Democrats to not play partisan politics, when he has consistently done so. George Bush is asking the Democrats to compromise on their own principles, while he consistently refuses to do so. George Bush is asking the Democrats to continue being subservient to this administration--to continue playing the rubber-stamp Congress. The hypocrisy here is incredible.

I'm not saying that the Democrats in Congress should play the same partisan political games that the Bush administration forced upon them for the past six years. What the Democrats need to realize here is that this Bush editorial is nothing more than a fig leaf--President Bush has no intention of working with the Democratic Congress, or even compromising. The Democrats are going to have to find a way to force Bush to seriously compromise on legislation. They are going to have to throw out the rubber stamps, and start working as a co-equal branch of government--especially in investigating the six years of Bush scandals and corruption for which the Republicans have failed to perform any oversight on the president. This Bush administration has shown itself to play the political PR-spin game again and again on every issue. This editorial by the president is just another example of this PR-spin. The Democrats will need to demand that President Bush show concrete deeds and actions, rather than hollow words.

Because that is all we've been getting from this administration for the past six years.