Vox: Dem "Policy Fights" versus GOP "Procedural War"
Why this political scientist thinks the Democrats have to fight dirty
David Faris: "The Constitution is a shockingly short document, and it turns out that its extremely vague on some key procedures that we rely on to help government function at a basic level. For the government to work, cooperation between parties is needed. But when that cooperation is withdrawn, it creates chaos.
Since the 90s, when Newt Gingrich took over Congress, weve seen a one-sided escalation in which Republicans exploit the vagueness or lack of clarity in the Constitution in order to press their advantage in a variety of arenas from voter ID laws to gerrymandering to behavioral norms in the Congress and Senate."
Sean Illing: "What the Republicans did to Merrick Garland was one of the most egregious examples Ive ever seen."
David Faris: "Right. They essentially stole a seat on the Supreme Court a swing seat, no less. But they correctly argued that they had no clear constitutional obligation to consider the presidents nominee for the seat. They didnt violate the Constitution. They violated the spirit of the Constitution. They violated the norms that have allowed these institutions to function normally for years and years."
While I would take minor issue with the characterization of using procedural strategies as "fighting dirty" (I think this will end up being another 'it's only 'class warfare' when we fight back' characterization) there are some very good points in the interview and it's well worth reading and discussing.
thoughtfully,
Bright