Are vetoes the key to a Bush recovery?

Discounting veto rhetoric
Just as Clinton’s “I will not let you destroy Medicare” sounded hyperbolic to his GOP critics, so too with some of the current Iraq veto rhetoric which, Cameron said, has to be taken at a discount.

“Both sides have to say the sort of things they are now saying — and each will be able to point to polls and elections to support their rhetoric,” said Cameron.

“On occasion during periods of highly polarized politics (like now), both sides find it in their interest to stage a ‘blame game veto’ — public theater that paints the other side in the worst possible light. The current Iraq funding bill is a classic example.”

One lesson some members of Congress drew from last November’s election was that that the public was fed up with partisan discord. If that’s true, would a veto antagonize a public tired of confrontation?

“Most Americans prefer an appearance of consensus to honest, open disagreement,” Cameron said. “But vetoes are all about confrontation, disagreement, and bargaining. Frequently, though, they lead to compromises. And in a period in which most voters are moderates and most politicians extremists, the public often finds the results of veto politics surprisingly palatable, even though they hate the process that brings about the compromise.”

Vetoes look good to Romney
For the party facing the prospect being in the congressional minority for several years, the veto power looks alluring.

That seems to be the message of an ad debuting this week from GOP presidential contender Mitt Romney.

The former Massachusetts governor, who faced an overwhelmingly Democratic legislature for four years, promises, “If I'm elected President, I'm going to cap non-defense discretionary spending at inflation minus one percent…. And if Congress sends me a budget that exceeds that cap, I will veto that budget. And I know how to veto. I like vetoes. I've vetoed hundreds of spending appropriations as Governor.”

Romney's message was aimed at fiscal conservatives who have criticized Bush for not using his veto to kill what they see as profligate spending bills during the first six years of his presidency when the Republicans ran Congress.

Picking the president — the candidates Click a name below to visit that candidate’s MSNBC page • Joe Biden                 • Sam Brownback     • Hillary Clinton          • Chris Dodd • John Edwards         • Rudy Giuliani           • Mike Gravel              • Duncan Hunter • Mike Huckabee        • Dennis Kucinich     • John McCain           • Barack Obama • Ron Paul                    • Bill Richardson      • Mitt Romney            • Tom Tancredo • Fred Thompson To subscribe to a candidate page RSS feed, click here.

MORE FROM POLITICS

Politics Section Front

Senate set for health care debate Newsweek: Why Cheney should run in 2012 NYT: White House intruders want to sell tale NYT: S.C. rift highlights debate in GOP Life isn’t all glamor for Obama crashers Marines to renew focus on Taliban haven Can Obama retain Hispanic support? Senate report: Bin Laden was 'within grasp' Dinner crashers met Obama, White House says   Obama cites economy in weekly address Politics Section Front   Add Politics headlines to your news reader: