CBS’ Meyer strikes a balanced note

So putting the Stunt of ’05 on the couch of political and social deconstruction, here’s what it means, I think:

Governing is now a quaint euphemism for campaigning; campaigning is easy, governing is hard.
– Dick Meyer on “The Endless Campaign” that is modern Democrat leadership.

It might be modern GOP leadership, too, except I frankly think the GOP haven’t the spines to actually do anything so overt.

Meyer writes: Acting out often works in the short term.

Many children get candy to stop public tantrums only to be denied dessert when they get back home. However ignoble the Democrats’ motives were, their trick worked in one legitimate way. The Senate Intelligence committee promised to have a bipartisan report on the status of its foot dragging in two weeks. That’s a minor coup — it’s the candy — but at what cost? Majority Leader Frist says his relations with Minority Leader Reid are forever poisoned and the Democrats may never get the dessert of a full investigation or a real voice on other legislative matters in the next 18 months. I believe Frist.

Heh. I wish I could say I could. All I see from Frist is endless wimpering that his poor widdle feewings were hurt by Reid. Still waiting to see the fire.

Meyer also writes: Acting out occurs when more acceptable behaviors failed.

The congressional branch of the Democratic Party has abjectly failed to conduct effective oversight of Iraq-issues since 9/11. They voted for war and then wanted to be let off the hook. They did not use their clout and the expertise that came from controlling the American intelligence apparatus during the Clinton era to marshal effective investigations of the Bush administration’s case for war as it was being made. They have barely been unable to force potent, effective post-mortems after the fact.

I imagine he’s getting lots of hate mail from the left telling him he is a Republican hack for daring to call the Democrat stunt of two days ago what it was – a temper tantrum and he’s going to get flack from the right for suggesting that the Democrats actually have a point in any – even the tiniest portion – of their complaints.

That’s what you get when you’re balanced. Everyone hates you. I know many in the press say “we must be balanced because everyone says we’re biased.” But this is what real balance looks like.

You’ll want to read the whole thing. In the comments section, Kim makes a point that part of Meyer’s piece seems a bit of a canard, considering the information which Lorie at Polipundit put out today. Possibly Meyer didn’t know about it. It’s not like the press is reporting on it!