Stealing the political playbook

Ron Ennis, Lehigh Valley Postal Workers
Editor, Lehigh Valley Labor Council

Partisanship in Congress, on the rise since the 1980s, is at record levels, according to a recent report from the Congressional Quarterly. While Republicans have historically been more “party bound,” Democrats have now matched the GOP’s voting unity.

“Democrats on Capitol Hill are relying more on what has been the GOP political playbook,” reported the Congressional Quarterly last month, “staying in step and sometimes getting tough with those who miss the boat.”

Party unity votes are defined as votes in either chamber of Congress that split the parties, a majority of voting Democrats opposing a majority of voting Republicans. Votes on which the parties agree or on which either party divides evenly, are excluded.

Historical Party Unity
Low point

Senate / House
Democrats 51% (1968) /Democrats 58% (1970)
Republicans 56% (1970) / Republicans 60% (1970)

High point
Democrats 89% (2001) /Democrats 92% (2007)
Republicans 94% (2003) / Republicans 91% (2003)

Data: Congressional Quarterly

So why didn’t the Democrats change the course in the Iraq War and alter domestic policy? Bush threatened to veto much of the platform Democrats campaigned on in the 2006 mid-term election. “The new Democratic majority,” said the Congressional Quarterly, “just did not have the strength in numbers to fulfill many of the promises they made in campaigning to win the 2006 midterm election.”