I Floated This Idea Yesterday And Was A Bit Surprised By The Responses......

[global1]

Here is the link to my post - so you could see the responses and my responses to the responses.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=132&topic_id=8151499&mesg_id=8151499

I can't believe that the majority of DU'ers here feel the way some of the posters do. You'll see my comments to some of their comments. I am taking my lead from President Obama and his indication that he wants to change D.C. and do things in a more bipartisan way.

For those of you that might not check out the link - here is my idea. What prompted me to repost this is I just heard Andrea Mitchell refer to 'the other side of the aisle'. I don't know why - but that phrase is really starting to bug me.

We always hear reference by either a House Rep or a Senator about his colleagues "across the aisle" or on the "other side of the aisle". How did this segregation come about and why should it continue to be fostered? Why don't they intermingle the Repugs, Dems and Indy's throughout the seats in the House and the Senate chambers? Wouldn't that be a very visible way of "changing the way Washington works"?

Perhaps if the Repugs, Dems and Indy's were integrated in these chambers - there would be more productive conversation between all versus just talking to those that hold the same beliefs. It also is more representative of what is actually going on in each of their states or districts.

I don't just live in a Dem community, a Repug community or an Indy community. I live in a community that includes all of these political beliefs. Why shouldn't that be an example as to how the House and Senate chambers disperse our elected representatives?

I for one hate it when I hear someone say "across the aisle" or the "other side of the aisle". It about time that we removed those phrases from our lexicon.

To add to this - I just got an e-mail from my Congressman - a Dem - that is bragging about the $'s Illinois will get if the stimulus bill is passed. It smacks of him bragging about the 'earmarks' he is bringing to our state. I guess this is still the way politicians like him feel that they will get re-elected as this is their only mission in life. All the rhetoric of them wanting to help the people is only that - rhetoric - because - what they really want is to continue their stay in D.C.

[Jennicut]

1. I agree the aisle thing is stupid. Like they are in elementary school or

something and have to be separated. They are all adults...are maybe not. But they should act like it.

[monmouth]

2. Not me, I want to know exactly where my non-democratic thinking pol

is sitting. Not in back of me, but across the aisle where I can see him...

[terisan]

3. I agree. The people have been divided and then conquered. The current

system has resulted in a lot of rich politicians and power to their corporate contributors

[sandnsea]

4. Congress is informing your state

of what the Republicans just voted against. Even though we have to work with the idiots, it doesn't mean they're right about anything. I can guarantee you that just about everything that is fucked up about Illinois came from a Republican, that's the way it is in Oregon.

[zipplewrath]

5. You're being to literal

Folks aren't really strictly divided by aisles, it's just an expression from some time when some place that was true. The House is very big and they are distributed on a "left right" basis but it isn't actually on one side or another of the aisle. In the senate I'm not even sure it's true at all since many of them sit in the same desk for years. In the larger sense, you seem to want to change the language to change attitudes. I guess I don't hold much hope for that. It's a tad bit of the "alternately abled" attitude. I don't really think that works. Also, the reality is that in most legislatures, very little time is spent in those chambers. It's all done in various offices and committee rooms. In the end, these distinctions are mostly for the larger publics consumption. There are many "divisions" within a legislature and the parties are only the beginning.

[stillcool]

6. 'earmarks' for states are what my representatives..

are in D.C. for..whether it be funding for shelters, schools, 'infrastructure'..whatever. I read something recently which said the minority is really the majority, because there are too many in the majority that are not involved in any meaningful way, and the minority has the media and the justice department.

[damntexdem]

7. Sure -- how about calling it the "enemy side of the aisle"?

Screw bipartisanship.

And the aisle sides have generations of tradition behind them.

[AllentownJake]

8. Yeah well I don't like it that the other side exist and want a pony