Losing the Common Ground

If the Washington Post is correct, Rep. Wayne Gilchrest (R-Md.) is helping Democrats write the Iraq war-spending bill in the House, but Sen. Olympia Snowe (R-Maine) hasn’t been contacted by the Democratic leadership in that chamber. Snowe is one of the top three most moderate Republicans now serving in the Senate and a clear pick up for the Democrats on these showdown votes on Iraq; she even supported the resolution opposing the war. Now as they hunker down for the funding fight Snowe is siding with Republicans but was quoted in the paper as saying “it wouldn’t take a lot” to win her over.

What’s wrong with these people? The two parties are supposed to work hard to find common ground, not work hard to ignore it when it obviously exists. Sure, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) has joined with Sen. Russ Feingold (D-Wis.) on legislation to cut off war funding by March 31, 2008 — but he hasn’t engaged Snowe, who reportedly approves of March 31, 2008 as a target date for ending combat operations.

Reid has a majority of one with Sen. Tim Johnson (D-S.D.) still recovering from brain surgery. In a 50-49 Senate, what could possibly be the reason he isn’t he looking for more votes?