Pelosi blames Senate for Congressional Democrats' woes

by: Jay Stevens

Wed Oct 17, 2007 at 13:03:11 PM MST

Pelosi blames the Senate.

And she's probably right. Senate Democrats, after all, have the slenderest majority yet have the additional burden of filibusters. A lot of good Democratic legislation - CHIP, Iraqi withdrawal timetables, extended rest for military units, Medicare's ability to negotiate drug prices - has fallen to Republican filibuster.

The comments also signal a growing unease within the House Democratic Caucus about the difficulty Senate Democrats are having in attracting sufficient GOP support for controversial bills. The Senate gridlock is undermining Democrats' ability to tout the first Democratic-controlled Congress since 1994 and is playing a role in the public's disapproval of the legislative branch. 

"It seems like the only way to do things is the Senate way," Rep. Kendrick Meek (D-Fla.) said.

Add that to the fact that a good chunk of Democrats are actually quite conservative. Like, say, Ben Nelson of Nebraska, or old pal Joe Lieberman who, although an independent, caucuses with the Democrats.

Looking ahead, Democrats in the lower chamber see more unpalatable compromises on issues like tax policy, where they are disappointed to see their goals in the hands of  cautious centrist Sen. Max Baucus (D-Mont.). House Democrats say on tax issues, they are constantly told that nothing can get off the ground unless nine or 10 Republican senators will agree to it.

"Everybody says, 'What can we get in the Senate?'" explains Rep. Jim McDermott (D-Wash.). "So we have to go over to Max Baucus with hat in hand."

To be fair to Max and the rest of the Senate Democrats, Senate Republicans have been willful and obstructionist, far more than any other group of lawmakers in the republic's history. (We are, indeed, living in interesting times.) To be fair to the House Democrats, Senate Democrats have not been aggressive enough in trying to break the logjam. (Threats of the "nuclear option," anyone? Persistent calls for a show of hands on controversial legislation?)

The problem here is that Republicans are setting the tenor of Congress. And House Democrats are worried they'll have to pay the price in the upcoming election.

Needlessly, I think. Yes, Congressional approval ratings are at an all-time low, but approval ratings for Democrats continue to climb, not only in the polls, but financially as well. Add that to the unprecedented number of House Republicans retiring, and the Democratic majority in the House looks safe.

Still, Pelosi's facing a lot of heat for perceived inaction from her left, probably more concerning to her own personal political ambitions than it is for Democrats across the nation, given her constituency.