Nancy Pelosi's balancing act

I was shocked to see Nancy Pelosi's statements on the Republican Party. For once, I see value in her approach towards working with her opposition. Like she says, I do not see any problems with Republicans voicing their displeasure with how things are being put out there in Congress for votes because in the end, we choose our representatives and it is their responsibility to do what they think is right. They are privy to much more information than we are and I like the fact that she acknowledges how little credit Republicans actually get for fulfilling their obligation of holding the Democrats accountable for their actions and sharing their displeasure with Congressional leadership. Also, we talked about how bipartisanship is becoming polarized in our legislative body, but just because we see two parties unable to come together on key issues does not necessarily mean they are in total opposition of one another. Take the idea of tax cuts for the middle class, both parties are in favor of providing support to Americans and even though Republicans would like more tax cuts for businesses and upper class citizens they still consider the issue of tax cuts essential in the budget and stimulus packages. Democrats proposed to do so during the presidential campaign, but they couldn't find a way to ensure the tax cuts last long enough to make the difference they hope to see. I think it is important to not only appreciate how parties have their own beliefs, but also the ways in which they go about achieving their political goals.