Word: bipartisan
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Senators and congressmen know a good buzzword when they see it. Everyone of them - from rabid conservatives to far-out liberals - is mouthing that he or she is now a born-again bipartisan. But it doesn't take much scratching on the surface to discover that practically every member's vision of bipartisanship is different. Like defining truth and beauty. "There clearly is a lot of leeway in what people have in mind when they talk about bipartisanship," Democratic Sen. Jeff Bingaman deadpans. Conservative Republican senators in Trent Lott's leadership team, such as Majority Whip Don Nickles...
...other Democrats are just singing bipartisanship for the cameras. The main goal the Democrats have is "to take back the House and Senate in 2002 and the White House in 2004," says Rhode Island Republican Sen. Lincoln Chafee. Other Republicans agree. "Everyone wants to be known as a bipartisan now," says one GOP Senate aide. "All that will end by January." Gore's concession speech marks "the beginning of the 2002 and 2004 elections. The Democrats have little incentive to negotiate and compromise. It's going to have to be George W. and the Republicans that do the lion...
...Negotiations between Democrats and Republicans over power sharing in a 50-50 Senate threaten to blow a hole in the bipartisan boat. Sens. Daschle and Lott are meeting every other work day to haggle over power sharing. "But we're not getting far on that," says a senior Senate GOP leadership aide. Daschle, who angered Lott and Nickles by trying first to negotiate via press conferences, has ordered his aides not to discuss his negotiations with the Republicans. Lott has offered Daschle a 50-50 split on committee budgets and staffing, but he still insists that Republicans have a majority...
...analyst told CNN Tuesday night, "Texas Democrats are like Texas Republicans wearing a thin layer of paint." Leadership in both parties bow equally deeply to the twin deities of conservatism: Tax cuts and less government. And certainly Bush's confabs with Speaker Laney, long considered a key broker of bipartisan support for Bush's proposals, have not prepared him for debates with Dick Gephardt or Trent Lott, congressional leaders who are making conciliatory noises now - but who are also known for their fierce partisanship...
...even if Washington does show signs of cooperation, one Beltway veteran pointed out to TIME.com, there will be sharp disagreements over what issues to tackle first. "When you look at what legislation is considered ripe for bipartisan compromise, the two parties are split: The Democrats talk about coming together on campaign finance reform and a patients' bill of rights, while the Republicans want to focus on abolishing the estate tax or a ban on partial birth abortion." All issues that have garnered significant bipartisan support in the past - but not exactly the legislative trifles one might expect an evenly split...