Not a compromiser, just a coward

Olympia Snowe announced yesterday that she wouldn't be seeking a fourth term in the Senate, and vainglorious New York Times weathervane David Brooks was so moved that he Godwinned the entire GOP.

What will we do, he wondered, without republicans like Snowe? The great compromisers, the great negotiators, the great lady who represents the middle 60%?

In typical Brooks fashion, he totally neglected to mention that Snowe was the perfect example of what's wrong with politics today. Back in 2009 she negotiated on behalf of "moderates" for health care reform. The Dems, so thrilled that somebody on the red side of the aisle would invite them to the cool kids' table at lunch, capitulated and gave Snowe every little thing she asked for.

Everything. Not a single compromise - just a list of demands. Harry Reid and company couldn't roll over fast enough.

Though triumphant, Snowe did not take the bill back to her constituents and say "This is what we can get when we work together." She did not take the bill to her peers and say "This is how we can responsibly implement a mandate, a fundamentally conservative stance." She did not comply with the comedy rule of threes.

She just bided her time, then gutlessly voted against the bill when it came to the floor in December of 2009.

There's no more perfect example of legislative cowardice in recent years. Snowe made a list of everything she wanted, gave her word, then backed away as quick as she possibly could.

Even the GOP doesn't need senators like that.