Posted on 01/14/2011 5:28:09 PM PST by BuckeyeTexan
Michaud Calls for Bipartisan Seating at State of the Union Address - Says it's a small, but important and symbolic step
WASHINGTON, DC - Today Congressman Mike Michaud added his name to a letter led by Senator Mark Udall (D-CO) that will be sent to House and Senate leaders next week asking for a show of bipartisanship through a change in the seating at the upcoming State of the Union Address.
"Partisan seating arrangements at the State of the Union addresses serve to symbolize division instead of the common challenges we face in securing a strong future for the United States," state Michaud and his colleagues in the letter. "But now the opportunity before us is to bring civility back to politics. It is important to show the nation that the most powerful deliberative bodies in the world can debate our differences with respect, honor and civility. We believe that it is not only possible, but that it is something that nearly all members of Congress truly desire. To that end, we suggest setting a small, but important, new tradition in American politics."
During the annual address, Democrats and Republicans traditionally sit in blocs on opposite sides on the floor of the House of Representatives.
Michaud and his colleagues continue in the letter: "Beyond custom, there is no rule or reason that on this night we should emphasize divided government, separated by party, instead of being seen united as a country. The choreographed standing and clapping of one side of the room - while the other side sits - is unbecoming of a serious institution."
The full text of the letter:
Dear Majority Leader Reid, Speaker Boehner, Minority Leaders McConnell and Pelosi:
We, the undersigned members of Congress, believe that partisan seating arrangements at the State of the Union addresses serve to symbolize division instead of the common challenges we face in securing a strong future for the United States.
As we all know, the tenor and debate surrounding our politics has grown ever more corrosive - ignoring the fact that while we may take different positions, we all have the same interests. This departure from statesmanship and collegiality is fueled, in part, by contentious campaigns and divisive rhetoric. Political differences will always generate a healthy debate, but over time the dialogue has become more hateful and at times violent. But now the opportunity before us is to bring civility back to politics. It is important to show the nation that the most powerful deliberative bodies in the world can debate our differences with respect, honor and civility. We believe that it is not only possible, but that it is something that nearly all members of Congress truly desire. To that end, we suggest setting a small, but important, new tradition in American politics.
At the State of the Union address, on January 25th, instead of sitting in our usual partisan divide, let us agree to have Democrats and Republicans sitting side by side throughout the chamber. Beyond custom, there is no rule or reason that on this night we should emphasize divided government, separated by party, instead of being seen united as a country. The choreographed standing and clapping of one side of the room - while the other side sits - is unbecoming of a serious institution. And the message that it sends is that even on a night when the President is addressing the entire nation, we in Congress cannot sit as one, but must be divided as two.
On the night of the State of the Union address, we are asking others to join us - House and Senate members from both parties - to cross the aisle and sit together. We hope that as the nation watches, Democrats and Republicans will reflect the interspersed character of America itself. Perhaps by sitting with each other for one night we will begin to rekindle that common spark that brought us here from 50 different states and widely diverging backgrounds to serve the public good.
With respect and admiration,
© Copyright 2002-2010 by Magic City Morning Star
Smells like another trap.
Smells like another trap.
I sent Boehner a copy of the dailykos kids plan for an anti-repub,anti-tea party etc PAAARRRTA on 1-25.
told them to hold the line. don’t fall for the BS the dummies are trying to pull.
Just BARK at barack....
and throw a few shoes for good measure ....(hint ...aim for the teleprompters)
This is nothing more than a propaganda effort to eliminate the actual objective visible differences between the two ideologies -Socialism versus Americana. This action would give the media propagandists an objective picture to paint a biased and subjective thousand words upon.
Let there be no superficial elimination of differences where differences are so great. It is in the contrast that the promoters of socialism are better identified.
The a##hole is trying to dilute our power via seating arrangement. Screw him.
I want to see republicans, all seated together, screaming YOU LIE!!
Anything to dilute the sweet victory of November!
Heck, I'd chip in for a red velvet GOP rope for the seating area.
Hell no!
This is tradition and it doesn’t need to be broken.
Forget it.
This is about obastard in 2012.
Spread the rats out among the pubs and when the camera pans the audience, and the pubs are standing, it looks like the whole audience is in support.
It’s theater.
I agree.
The SCOTUS should boycott it, too, given the shabby treatment they got from obastard last year.
Who are the sell-outs?
I disgree. The Republicans shouldn’t sit next to the social democrats, instead, they should invite a like number of Tea Party Patriots to sit next to.
Please GOD in heaven, don’t let this happen. It is a Dem TRICK for sure.
I meant to say “....when the rats are standing...”
“together we thieve” ???
Excellent point.
If the Dems won't unite with the Pubs over something as massively tragic as 9/11, why should the Pubs go bipartisan when a Dem gets assaulted, when Dems are always dragging America down anyway?
Today Congressman Mike Michaud added his name to a letter led by Senator Mark Udall (D-CO) that will be sent to House and Senate leaders next week asking for a show of bipartisanship through a change in the seating at the upcoming State of the Union Address.How about bipartisan total silence during Zero's drivel? That would send an unmistakable message. Thanks BuckeyeTexan.
This is scarin’ the h**l out of me.
I read Free Republic and post here sometimes even though I disagree with many of the views held by other Freepers.
With this Tucson episode the Dems have pushed the car over the cliff. It's one thing to say I'm conservative (though I'm not a conservative as Freepers understand the term) therefore I'm crazy. I read that c**p on the web every day. It's another thing to say I'm a killer - when the dead bodies in the parking lot aren't even cold and the blood hasn't even been hosed off.
C****t, it's like living in Red China - not rhetorically, but for real! Within minutes of the shootings in Tucson, the Politburo in Washington contacted the State Paper (the NYT) to have them state that the killings were the work of a “dissident group” that had “incorrect views.”
Now we're ramping up the hysteria to the point where we're talking about co-opting the “dissident group with incorrect views” at the SOTU. THERE IS NO CRISIS CALLING FOR THIS!
The thing that should scare you (or whatever term you prefer) is that I'm a right-of-center Gerry Ford Republican.
Yeah, yeah, yeah. I'm a stupid, worthless RINO idiot, blah, blah, blah. But this is still the dumbest suggestion I've ever heard. A “Kumbaya” SOTU address given by some ***hold private citizen who isn't NBC and who isn't — in any conceivable sense — POTUS.
What has happened to my country?
Rant off. Back to my meds.
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