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If you choose an issue that has broad popular appeal and appears to have no downside in the near term leading into a Presidential election it may be a good time for politicians to seize an opportunity to appear bipartisan. You know, that curious political term that is intended to demonstrate the positive effects of party politics. The problem is that what bipartisan really means is both major parties view a problem as equally destructive to both parties requiring a temporary truce to appear concerned while solving little or nothing.

Two calls by members of each party have recently made the news for just such an occasion. It is not a big surprise that President Bush and Hillary Rodham Clinton are in the stories. HRC pandered for votes from evangelicals by offering $50 billion in additional HIV/AIDS spending from the public coffers in exchange for votes. Likewise, President Bush called for more funding from Congress to spend on AIDS.

Today Hillary Rodham Clinton is expected to call for a 3 month moratorium on real estate foreclosures and a five year freeze on adjustable mortgage rates. The Wall Street Journal reports her plan is similar to one being promoted by President Bush’s Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson.

John Edwards is credited for raising the issue earlier than Clinton but the Clinton plan is described as going further than her competitors. Two other facts about these events suggest the questionable motives of political strategy attempting to appear bipartisan and therefore wholesome. Hillary Rodham Clinton is quoted in the WSJ report with this, ‘”I’m very pleased the administration is responding to this crisis,” said Mrs. Clinton, adding that she has “high regard” for Mr. Paulson. The other fact that questions the motives behind these events is the last paragraph in the WSJ report presented below.

Getting out front on the foreclosure issue may make good political sense for the candidates. The crisis is spread unevenly across the country but some of the hardest hit are some of the biggest political swing states as well. Florida, Ohio and Michigan rank in the top 10 states worst-hit by the crisis, as do Nevada and Colorado — two states where general election balloting is seen as being close.

So much for benefits of political strategy that offers the appearance of bipartisan efforts.

This entry was posted on Monday, December 3rd, 2007 at 2:47 pm and is filed under Public Affairs, Money Matters, Bush, wordpress, Politics, Clinton. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.