Senate Democrats blocked a Republican bid to combine a tax cut for the wealthy with a wage increase for the working poor last night, adding a volatile economic issue to this fall's congressional campaigns.

GOP leaders fell three votes short of the 60 needed to cut off debate and bring the package to the Senate floor, where it was considered certain to pass on a simple-majority vote.  Republicans said Democrats will pay a price in November, contending that most Americans support the bill's call for an increase in the minimum wage and deep cuts in the estate tax.


So, in August of this year, the Democrats filibustered a bill the Republicans had concocted that tied any minimum wage increase to an "estate tax" megagiveaway to the very, very rich.  A Republican poison pill, if you will.  And the Republicans said, at the time, that what the Democrats did was so politically stupid, they would "pay a price in November". 

And we all know what happened in November.

So now, as I try to deconstruct Mr. Safire's thesis, this is what I come up with: it's somehow bipartisan for the Democrats to behave more beholden to the Bush Administration now that the Democrats have won Congress.  After all:


The window of bipartisan compromise can also fit a minimum wage increase tied to inheritance tax reduction.


This is bipartisanship for Republicans: We'll get what we want, only we'll be nicer than before about taking it from you.

Don't be fooled.