Why should Democrats oblige the GOP?

I read with interest Judge James Robertson’s op-ed piece in the March 17 issue of The Bee. His insights into the judicial nomination process is insightful, although I disagree with his conclusions.

He encourages Democrats to drop their opposition to Trump’s Supreme Court nominee, Judge Neil Gorsuch. His reasoning is that if they don’t it will continue the “...Thirty Years’ War” on judicial appointments.

Ending this ongoing partisan divide would most certainly benefit the nation. But my opposition comes from my historical perspective: that pundits, like the author, seem to always call for compromise and bipartisanship from the Democrats, while the Republicans enthusiastically pursue outright partisanship (”did it because we had the votes, and you don’t”).

I wish Judge Robertson would have written this article just after Obama was elected. Eight years of unrelenting obstructionism is hard to forget. So, in the interests of creating a congenial atmosphere in Washington, maybe Judge Robertson can call for the Republicans to allow Democrats to have a seat at the table. Asking only Democrats to be reasonable without any apparent quid pro quo from the Republicans is just clever hypocrisy.

This story was originally published March 23, 2017 at 12:45 PM with the headline "Why should Democrats oblige the GOP?."