In a column by Morton Krondake in Roll Call, Senator Lamar Alexander (R-TN) decried the lack of comity in the Senate as well as the lack of opportunity for true problems solving among Senators of different parties.
The unfortunate reality is, he said, “there’s almost no opportunity for that. The only times we have regular bipartisan gatherings is at prayer breakfasts on Wednesdays and Thursdays and on CODELs,” the Congressional delegations that make foreign inspection trips. “The rest of the time, you’re in team meetings or policy lunches. You never have time to swap ideas with anyone on the other team,” Alexander added.
As I have mentioned, the current climate of intense partisanship is the result of a number of factors, but the fact that most Senators and Representatives spend far too little time in the company of their colleagues reduces the level of comity and reduces the opportunity for informal debate, away from the cameras of CSPAN that lead to bipartisan solutions. It may take a drastic restructuring of political thought or perhaps the bill (H.R. 2642) of Congressman John Tanner (who is seeking to change the way Congressional districts are drawn to reduce the overwhelming number of safe seats in Congress) to change the way in which politics operates in Washington.
Sen. Alexander--No Hope for Senate Comity
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