WARNING: Watching C-SPAN May Induce Post-Partisanism

I worked from home today, so I spent the whole day watching the C-SPAN replay of the congressional hearing with the CEOs of Chrysler, Ford, and GM in the background of whatever else I was doing.   Given the fact that I know absolutely nothing about how the economy works and/or what the government should do about the American auto industry, or the stock market, or banks, or whatever else is collapsing, I tried to approach these hearings with an open mind and just listen to what everyone had to say.  

However, the truth is that I am very unlikely to find common ground with a politician who has (R) Texas listed after their name, let alone Texas's 5th District Representative, Congressman Jeb Hensarling.  If you don't know Jeb Hensarling (I certainly didn't until I looked him up), he is an up-and-coming leader in the Republican party.  He is a big-time conservative and has voted against choice, stem cell research, same-sex marriage, and hate crimes laws.  He supports the PATRIOT Act and an amendment to ban flag burning.  

Basically, not my kind of dude.  But, I must admit that I think he really held it down  when confronting the CEOs on Wednesday...

Besides the fact that this is just a well-written and eloquently delivered argument, Representative Hensarling seems to be pretty serious about the traditional Conservative argument that the government should have as little access to people's money as possible.  And, while I believe that in reality, this approach neither serves to improve the national infrastructure of the United States, nor does is serve the best interests of the American citizenry, it seems that the tectonic rumblings of the economy and its auto industry-threatening aftershocks have unearthed some common ground.  In watching the car company CEOs' testimony, it was clear that many of our leaders have, particularly in light of the dire economic straights in which we have now found ourselves, absolutely no more tolerance for the wanton greed and excesses of corporate executives.  

Despite being generally divided on whether or not to give the Big Three the $25 Billion they have requested, it seems as though representatives from both the Left and the Right are actively looking for someone to take accountability for what has happened, and are demanding a clear and comprehensive strategy as a pre-condition to making any final decision regarding the allocation of "bailout" money.

Later in the day, I watched the C-SPAN broadcast of a panel discussing and debriefing the Presidential Election in which Howard Dean attributed some of his (and the Democratic Party's) success to their recognition of the "post-partisan" nature of the younger Americans who turned out to vote in unprecedentedly high numbers earlier this month.  According to Dean, voters under 35 are increasingly looking beyond party lines for leaders whose commitment to finding practical, effective, and comprehensive strategies to tackle our problems outweighs their commitment to towing their party's line and tooting their party's horn.

If Dean's comments are true, does this means my warm reaction to Rep. Hensarling's comments make me part of this post-partisan movement?  When I first heard Hensarling speak, I must admit that I was compelled by his words.  Without knowing about his Conservative political leanings, Hensarling's direct approach struck in me a similar chord to the one struck by many of the Lefties I love (Howard Dean, Ted Kennedy, Dennis Kucinich, Barack Obama, etc.).  His "let's talk like adults" approach resonated with me, and I liked how his really tried to stick it to the CEOs on the most basic and fundamental moral and economic grounds.  

But then I looked him up...

...And no matter how well-crafted and powerfully delivered his words might have been, no matter how logical and resonant his approach to the CEOs was, there is no way I can look past all of the positions that originally aligned me with the Democratic Party and say that I'm OK with Jeb Hensarling.  I'm not a Democrat because I like being part of a club.  I'm not a Democrat because I have an affinity for donkeys or because of Matt Damon and Will.I.Am & Friends.  I'm a Democrat because I agree with most of the Democratic Party platform -- I think that as a whole, the Democrats are simply more correct than the Republicans.  And I am a Democrat because I think that it is important to form alliances with like-minded people in order to gain the leverage necessary to make meaningful change in Washington.

Am I tired of meaningless, symbolic "partisan for partisanism's sake" bickering between politicians?  Of course.  Do I want our leaders to stop their political peacocking and get down to work? Absolutely.  But am I willing to ignore the larger or more symbolic party messages to which I am so adamantly opposed and start voting for Republicans?  Not quite.