What Democrats can learn from Republicans
Bill Press says Democrats need to start eating their own and to close ranks when the going gets tough.
Don’t tell me there’s no difference between the two major parties. Republicans and Democrats not only differ on policy, they also differ on tactics. And while Republicans can certainly learn something from Democrats on issues like climate change, minimum wage, racial justice, and women’s rights, Democrats can learn something from Republicans on tactics.
When Republicans sense trouble, they band together. When Democrats sense trouble, they form a circular firing squad. And that’s never been so true as it is today, as President-elect Joe Biden puts together his new administration.
Even cynics must admit, Biden’s doing an amazing job in fulfilling his promise of an administration that “looks like the country.” As Biden noted in nominating Pete Buttigieg to be secretary of transportation: “We’ll have more people of color than any cabinet, ever. We’ll have more women than any cabinet, ever.” Biden could rightfully boast he’d already made “eight precedentbusting appointments.” And with the nomination of Buttigieg, the first openly gay cabinet secretary, he added a ninth.
It’s a star-studded line-up.
Yet, ironically, most of the criticism aimed at Biden’s team has come, not from Republicans, but from fellow Democrats. It’s the circular firing squad in action, starting with Lloyd Austin at the Pentagon.
Nobody can question Austin’s credentials to lead the Defense Department. The only hitch is, he’s only been retired for four years, not the required seven for a retired general to be defense secretary, which means he’ll need a congressional waiver to take the job. Which is driving some Democratic senators crazy. Why?
Democrats joined Republicans in granting a waiver to Donald Trump’s Defense secretary general, Jim Mattis. Without question, they should extend the same courtesy to Presidentelect Joe Biden.
Austin’s hardly the only Biden appointment to come under fire from Democrats. Secretary of State nominee Antony Blinken’s been criticized for being an early supporter of the war in Iraq (as was Joe Biden). Agriculture secretary nominee Tom Vilsack’s portrayed as the tool of corporate agriculture. Pete Buttigieg’s nomination to Transportation is opposed by the Black Lives Matter movement. The list goes on.
But, of all the inside-the-tent fighting among Democrats, none surpassed the open warfare over the next administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency. Let’s face it, the new head of the EPA has a tough job. First, to reverse all the environmental protections undone by Trump lackeys, the “never fly coach” Scott Pruitt and the “coal is beautiful” Andrew Wheeler. Second, to restore EPA in its role as the world leader in the global crusade against climate change.
It’ll take somebody who’ll hit the ground running. Somebody with a solid record of fighting climate change, experience running a large government agency, and proven ability to take on the big polluters. I believe the best person for the job was Mary Nichols, chair of the California Air Resources Board. Dubbed the “Queen of Green,” she was appointed head of the Air Resources Board four times by three different governors of two different parties: Jerry Brown, Arnold Schwarzenegger, and Gavin Newsom.
For weeks, Nichols was considered the frontrunner for head of EPA, until a small band of environmental zealots claimed she hadn’t done enough to improve air quality in minority communities because of her support for the so-called “cap and trade” policy, whereby a refinery or power plant can “buy” the right to pollute more, but only up to a fixed limit.
No matter how well-intentioned, those critics are dead wrong. First, California’s tough regulations have improved air quality for all Californians equally: rich, poor, urban, and rural. Second, while “cap and trade” is only a temporary solution, it’s already generated $7.5 billion in revenue — of which $3.5 billion, almost half, under Nichols’ stewardship, has actually improved air quality in minority communities by funding low-income housing near transit, providing electric buses, and phasing out diesel machinery. Nevertheless, they succeeded in killing Nichols’ nomination.
No doubt, Michael Regan, Biden’s eventual pick, will do a good job at EPA. It’s just too bad that party infighting cost the loss of the valuable experience and expertise that Mary Nichols would have brought to the agency.
When will Democrats stop eating their own? In the end, it comes down to loyalty. That’s the one big thing Democrats can learn from Republicans. Loyalty means that when the going gets tough, you close ranks. You stick with your team. Yes, Republicans can take loyalty too far. But, like now, Democrats sometimes suffer from showing no loyalty at all.