Sadly, bipartisan means the opposite of what it meant in politically happier times on Capitol Hill. Now it means baiting the opposition into doing something that seethes with partisanship. This has never been more excruciatingly obvious than with two of the biggest partisan charades we have seen in years. On one hand, we have Democrats fighting tooth and nail to not participate in a House probe of what happened in Benghazi even though they will blame the investigation for not being bipartisan. On the other hand, we have extraordinary plans to do more for illegals, efforts Republicans are accused of blocking because of a sham bipartisan immigration bill approved by the Senate.
Bipartisan is unfair when it comes to American dead.
It is difficult to fathom how having a bipartisan panel overseeing the House Benghazi probe could not help prevent the rabidly unfair, partisan witch hunt Democrats are panicking over, a panic that is going to spread now that Senate Republicans have taken up the call. Does the fear of a bad outcome take bipartisanship off the table?
Nancy Pelosi called for a fair and balanced Benghazi committee,1 words we associate with liberal tax reform rhetoric, not finding out the facts behind the American dead in Libya (see: Muslims Hate America, but the U.S. Has No Death to Allah Day). Not surprisingly, the Republican response was judged “fundamentally unfair.”2
When asked if the administration would cooperate, Press Secretary Jay Carney stonewalled and blamed the problem on Republicans refusing to fund security:
We call upon Republicans to take a little of the time they spend investigating investigations or voting to repeal a law they will not repeal and focus on providing the funding necessary so that we can adequately provide security to our brave Americans serving overseas.3
Xavier Becerra, Chairman of the House Democratic Caucus, also applied the “fair and balanced” label4 when he rejected participation in the probe, justifying his stance by defending our democracy:
Sadly, with this latest maneuver by House Republicans, the House of Representatives has descended to a new low, further discrediting this institution and our democracy.5
Does being fair factor into partisan plans to use taxpayers to make life better for illegals?
Bipartisan is fair when it comes to helping illegals.
When it comes to Republicans helping illegal aliens get their fair share of what Americans spend their lives paying taxes for, House Democrats take a different position. Choosing the decidedly un-American May Day holiday to dangle hope to “millions of aspiring Americans,”6 Becerra called for bipartisan cooperation on immigration a week before he refused a bipartisan committee on Benghazi:
It’s time for my Republican colleagues to turn words into action and join House Democrats in calling on Speaker Boehner to put immigration reform on the floor for a vote!7
Minority Leader Pelosi played a different tune, too, insisting Democrats just want to do the right thing for America if only House Republicans would let them:
All we want is a vote. Just give us a vote. Why can’t we have a vote on this?8
How is it that bipartisan means we can’t come together to find out what really happened when Americans were murdered on foreign soil, but the urgency to join hands over illegals who came here to partake of everything our taxes can buy is overwhelming and absolutely cannot wait? Sadly, Democratic votes and an immigration reform success count for more than dead Americans ever could.