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Eugene

(61,595 posts)
Thu May 24, 2012, 09:15 AM May 2012

Senate 'Fire Department' seeks to ease partisan rancor

Source: Reuters

Senate 'Fire Department' seeks to ease partisan rancor

By Donna Smith

WASHINGTON | Thu May 24, 2012 7:01am EDT

(Reuters) - Call it a humble effort to douse the flames of dysfunction and paralysis in the U.S. Senate.

Frustrated by an inability to get much done amid the partisan rancor in what has been called "the world's greatest deliberative body," two senators - Republican Lamar Alexander and Democrat Mark Warner - have decided to quietly reach across the political divide.

They helped pull together a loosely organized group of senators - dubbed the "Volunteer Fire Department" by Republican Senator Lindsey Graham - to have private dinners and try to build relationships to help quell conflicts.

"The idea is basically this: When the Senate runs off the track, when there's a fire, when there's a problem, somebody rings the bell and everybody who can shows up to try to fix it," Alexander told Reuters. "Then we all go back to our usual role."

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Read more: http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/05/24/us-usa-senate-dinners-idUSBRE84N06J20120524
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Senate 'Fire Department' seeks to ease partisan rancor (Original Post) Eugene May 2012 OP
What nonsense Proud Liberal Dem May 2012 #1
In other words, we will get Democrats to capitulate to every Republican demand, denverbill May 2012 #2
Ah yes Proud Liberal Dem May 2012 #4
Jesus Christ, NONE of this crap is going to work. Arkana May 2012 #3
The time for "winning and losing" Proud Liberal Dem May 2012 #5
The GOP thinks bipartisanship means "vote our way or we stop the government from functioning". Arkana May 2012 #6
"Then we all go back to our usual role." Hmm. Most Volunteer firefighters don't SET the fires. yellowcanine May 2012 #7

denverbill

(11,489 posts)
2. In other words, we will get Democrats to capitulate to every Republican demand,
Thu May 24, 2012, 09:41 AM
May 2012

while they give up nothing.

How bipartisan that will be.

Arkana

(24,347 posts)
3. Jesus Christ, NONE of this crap is going to work.
Thu May 24, 2012, 09:47 AM
May 2012

All of these guys need to get off their high horses and realize that they're not above any of it. Their job isn't to end the fight. It's to fucking WIN IT.

Proud Liberal Dem

(24,355 posts)
5. The time for "winning and losing"
Thu May 24, 2012, 10:40 AM
May 2012

is during campaigns. Once the elections have been concluded its time for our leaders to put aside their squabbles and do what is in the best interest of the country IMHO.

Arkana

(24,347 posts)
6. The GOP thinks bipartisanship means "vote our way or we stop the government from functioning".
Thu May 24, 2012, 11:23 AM
May 2012

There is no making nice with a group of people who think this way.

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