BIPARTISANSHIP IS OVERRATED; TIME TO FIGHT FIRE WITH FIRE

Rochester, N.Y.--  Labor guys like me have been waiting impatiently for the Obama administration to adopt a more aggressive, partisan tone these days. What do you think? Any way you slice it, Obama's attempt at bipartisianship is way overrated and has just not worked. It should be viewed as a by-product of governing-- not a results strategy. I want Congress and the White House to produce progressive results-- I could care less how they get there.

Just recently, the newly emboldened Republicans may have attributed postponing a summit on Thursday with President Obama to a scheduling glitch, but my sources tell me it's really all about politics. I couldn't agree more.  And for the record, the GOP leadership has no intention of honoring bipartisanship-- they never have.

The roots of the partisan standoff that led to this postponed meeting of the minds dates back to January, when President Barack Obama dominated a GOP meeting in Baltimore and delivered a humiliating rebuke to House Republicans.  It literally pissed them off and they haven't gotten over it.

After the dramatic midterm gains, presumptive House Speaker John Boehner and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell are now letting Obama know he can't run all over them anymore and they are just trying to flex what little political muscle they have at this time. To me, their behavior is child-like and proves the point that they are more concerned about scoring political points than doing the people's business.

The average joe should also know this-- Republican leaders continue to inject politics at every turn while the Democrats are trying to govern our way to fiscal wellness. I'm not letting the Dems of the hook here either-- they are plenty culpable for not showing enough strength to inact more progressive legislation while they had control of the Senate, House and the White House for the past 24 months. But there is a huge difference at play here-- politics is not policy or governing and the GOP doesn't understand the difference.  I know that fair-minded lawmakers do exist who really want to get things done in Washington.  I'd like to think Maine's two Republican Senator's Olympia Snowe and Susan Collins are among them.

And, let's be honest here-- corporate America bought the last election as voters ousted lawmakers who couldn't turn the economy around fast enough and voted for the Party who tanked our economy in the first place.

photo by Ove Overmyer

 Clearly, today's political conundrum should be viewed for what it truly is-- greed, self interest and profit over the general welfare and common good of ordinary citizens of a civil society. What is so disturbing is that anti-labor forces make no apologies for their strategy and ideology-- they continue to use trickery and sleight of hand to convince well meaning average Americans to vote against their own best interest-- mostly using ignorance, fear and hate as motivators-- to basically separate and divide us. To their credit, even our own union members take the bait, hook, line and sinker.

Middle class and working families should renew their dedication to support lawmakers who vote to reverse the income status-quo, make the rich pay their fair share, create living wage jobs, save our pensions and hold Wall Street and big business accountable for their illegal and perverse actions. There should be no "passes" for any elected official who violates our trust.

Recognizing the problems that plague us as “one nation” is one thing, but having the will and energy to move our country forward is another. It’s up to each and every union member, and it's up to each member of every middle class family in America to recognize a “sense of urgency” to remedy the mounting problems that face us as a state and nation.

If history has taught us anything, it’s time for the labor movement, union households and everyday Americans to rise up once again to be fully represented and to have ownership over the destiny of our own diverse, blended, multi-generational working families.  Having stronger unions made a difference in the past, and can bring us the results we need for a promising future.  An effective political action strategy, massive mobilization efforts, and having those tough conversations with your co-workers, neighbors and friends would be a great start to that end.

-Commentary by Ove Overmyer