As yet another Legislative session approaches can we expect yet another sixty days of Democratic party compromise and accommodation with the Republican majority? Are we going to witness our Democratic elected officials compromise their liberal principles in order to pass largely meaningless “take home” bills and to feel loved in the halls of the Legislature?
The big question is with a once in a lifetime economic crunch but yet another budget crisis created by Republican mismanagement of the state, will the Democrats cave in as they always seem to do on the Legislative level. Or will they be emboldened by the Democratic resurgance that has swept the nation in the past two election cycles and has flipped three formerly GOP held Congressional seats in Florida to the party that should be representing the people?
Will the Democrats be the party of change or the party of “us too” in this Legislative session. Will the House Democrats even engage in the debate having been seemingly disarmed of effective leadership with Dan Gelber, the brightest and wittiest member of the caucus now in the Senate? Will the Senate Democrats act as a cohesive bloc of votes under Al Lawson who has had a very promising start as leader or will they dissipate into factions like so many times in the past?
These are the questions facing the people’s party as we enter the 2009 Regular Session.
