The title of this entry is the sense of the attitude I’ve been gathering from liberals over the House of Representatives Republicans’ recent show of unity against the Democrats’ stimulus bill.  The basic argument is that because the Republicans themselves went on a massive spending spree during their years in power, they no longer have a leg to stand on in opposing this bill.  Another way of saying it is basically, “You did this too so now we can do it.”  In other words, it’s the Democrats’ way of justifying their pork-filled bill.

For one, it seems like a weak argument to make, because the Democrats have been in the Republicans’ position before, only a few years ago.  Second: 46% of the population didn’t vote for Barack Obama.  There needs to be an opposition.

Do you remember back when the Democrats were in the minority and the Democrats put forth amendments to troop funding bills to withdrawal from Iraq?  Then whenever the Republicans would announce the Democrats had voted against the troops they’d put their tails between their legs and comply with whatever bill was put forth by the majority?

Well now the tables are turned and the Republicans are showing some resolve (finally), and what do we get?  Blog posts like this one, entitled “Republicans Vote Against the American People.”  Excuse me while I go hack up some phlegm (of a different type than the stuff I have been spending half my recent days hacking up).

Really?  And that’s only what one blogger is saying about this.  So lets go straight to the source; what say you, SanFran Nan?:

“Republicans asked for several things so that they could participate in the process, and we gave them all of the opportunities they asked for,” Pelosi said.

Of course, from what I understand, that’s not quite true.  So says Jazz Shaw, anyway (emphasis his):

Instead, we witnessed a tour de’ force of the newly minted, Democratic superpower. One of the most telling features of the evening for me was watching the facial gestures and body language of Speaker Nancy Pelosi.

Unlike many of her previous, stern appearances, the Speaker sat at her bench and smiled broadly, seeming to be on the verge of giggling a number of times, as the Republicans lined up to vote against the bill. At least for me, there was a very clear message being sent. And that message was, “we don’t need to work with you any more. I have the votes and I have the power. We’re not just going to appropriate money to address the economic crisis here. We’re going to fund a whole bunch of things we’ve been trying to get through for the last eight years. We know you don’t agree, but you’re going to sit there and take it. You did it to us when we were in the minority. Let’s see how you like it.”

So, basically, Pelosi just wants the Republicans to sit down and shut up while the Dems do whatever they please?  You know, that seems awfully familiar.  But the problem with this type of argument, or the one presented in the entry title, is that it’s just childish.  It’s something you might expect in an elementary school playground, not in the halls of Congress.  But it’s more serious, because now the Democrats, or Pelosi, anyway, want blood.  So this smells of revenge.  It’s a poor attitude to have, really.  Unsportsmanlike.

Pelosi should have worked with the Republicans to identify problem areas, but clearly she didn’t, given the vote.  As Shaw says, this bill stripped down to the essentials might have been passable with both parties in line.  Pelosi decided to ignore this in an attempt to assert power.

Which could be fatal for the Democrats in 2010 if this measure doesn’t work.