Democrats take control of Congress with pledge to work with Bush

Both top leaders of the congressional Democrats voiced the desire for bipartisan collaboration with the Republican-controlled White House. Taking the gavel as Speaker, Pelosi said, “I accept this gavel in the spirit of partnership, not partisanship, and look forward to working with you on behalf of the American people. In this House, we may belong to different parties, but we serve one country.”

“Last November, the voters sent us a message—Democrats and Republicans,” Reid declared. “The voters are upset with Congress and the partisan gridlock. The voters want a government that focuses on their needs. The voters want change. Together, we must deliver that change.”

These protestations go beyond the usual ceremonial boilerplate. The congressional Democrats have absolutely no intention of conducting any struggle against the policies of the Bush administration, either at home or abroad. At most, they want to enact a few cosmetic measures that by definition—since they will be carried out in agreement with the White House—will represent a continuation of Bush’s program of reaction and war.

It is on the central issue of Iraq that the Democrats’ prostration before the Bush administration is most evident. Pelosi noted that antiwar sentiment was the driving force behind the Democrats’ election victory on November 7 in her speech accepting her election as Speaker.

More
http://wsws.org/articles/2007/jan2007/cong-j05.shtml