I am all for more compromise and consensus building among the political parties, although I recall a Bush supporter here describing compromise as a sign of weakness.
We are seeing compromise, most recently on bills passed this week.
The Homeland Security bill (in one section of the bill, members agreed to give up HS security funding for their districts/states in favor of a system where higher target cities get more $$$, in another section, Repubs agreed to more funding for port security that Dems have pushed for 6 years) (link)
The Congressional ethics bill that hold members more accountable for their actions with lobbyists, among other things is waiting Bush's signature (his spokesperson said he may veto because it does not go far enough). Its far from perfect, but to veto it because it doesnt go far enough, when the Republican majority did nothing for 10 years? (link)
And the SCHIP program for health care for children of the working poor - passed by a 68-31 margin in the Senate but with far less bi-partisan support in the House (and a lower cigarette tax).
If you look, you will see your old Democratic party putting forth positive proposals on numerous issues of concern to you since they gained control of Congress.
You raised the issue of trade deficits, trade agreements and China, look at what the Democrats (with a small number of Republican supporters) proposed to Bush back in February .....we must act without any further delay against the following specific barriers and practices, including by:
Acting aggressively to stop currency manipulation by Japan and China, including by initiating investigations of each countries’ practices under section 301 of U.S. law and WTO cases under Articles VI, XV, XVI and other relevant provisions of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT), as we have repeatedly urged;
Enforcing our rights in the WTO by bringing cases against China’s intellectual property rights violations, and E.U. discriminatory trading arrangements;
Enforcing U.S. trade remedy laws vigorously, including by maintaining the ability of the United States to address strategic dumping through the continued use of the zeroing methodology, as provided for under the WTO rules as written; and
Ensuring U.S. workers, farmer and businesses have an effective means to address China’s rampant subsidization of its industries by ensuring that countervailing duty actions can be taken against subsidized Chinese exports.
(link).
Other examples.... Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) reform and more open government, procurement reform to prevent contracting abuses like those recently exposed in Iraq funding, more funding and expanded programs for primary/secondary education (like the program to improve math/science education in k-12), expanded funding for alternative energy resource development.....(I can offer many more examples)...only to face threats of vetos on all of these bills.
I absolutely agree that the rhetoric among our political leaders needs to be toned down....but it cannot be replaced with compromise at every turn on every issue.
And I never want to see the Democratic Party stop questioning a Republican president or a Republican majority Congress on their policies and actions and vice versa......that is the strength of our two party system.