PERSPECTIVE FROM THE 19^TH HOLE:  This is the title I chose for my personal blog, which is meant to give me an outlet for one of my favorite crafts – writing – plus to use an image from my favorite sport, golf.  Out of college, my first job was as a reporter for the Daily Astorian in Astoria, Oregon, and I went on from there to practice writing in all of my professional positions, including as press secretary in Washington, D.C. for a Democrat Congressman from Oregon (Les AuCoin), as an Oregon state government manager in Salem and Portland, as press secretary for Oregon’s last Republican governor (Vic Atiyeh), and as a private sector lobbyist.  This blog also allows me to link another favorite pastime – politics and the art of developing public policy – to what I write.  I could have called this blog “Middle Ground,” for that is what I long for in both politics and golf.  The middle ground is often where the best when I public policy decisions lie.  And it is where you want to be on a golf course.

When I drafted this blog yesterday, my purpose was to give credit to where credit was due – to Congress for producing a bi-partisan compromise that, while imperfect, did respond to the national virus emergency.

Then, guess what?  Donald Trump intervened by saying that he opposed the compromise, even though he had not done one thing to help with its development.

It struck me a little like former Oregon John Kitzhaber who earned the nickname, Dr. No, when he vetoed various bills after no involvement in their development.

Well, as I complete this blog this morning, it is not clear whether Trump was just doing his usually ranting via Twitter, or whether he intends to veto the compromise.  If he does, there were enough votes when it passed the House and Senate to override his veto if Members of Congress were to vote the same, affirmative way.

We’ll see about that, but, for now, back to the bill that emerged from Congress.

I agree with Washington Post editorial writers who contended this week that the virus relief bill shows that Washington, D.C. can still work, albeit slowly and with difficulty.

What happened in Congress was a compromise, which is not a negative word.  It is the real definition of politics.

And, by definition, with compromise, there is:

• A lot to like about the bill that passed.
• A lot to dislike about the bill that passed.

If you are involved in producing a compromise, another way to say it is this – you give and you get.  And you don’t always like everything about the final product.

Here is how the Post described the result:

“As the nation closes out a gloomy 2020, there have been a few signs that its political system still can work.  First was an orderly presidential election, perhaps the cleanest and most secure ever, that has resisted concerted attempts by President Trump to overturn the result.

“Second is the compromise Covid-19 relief bill that lawmakers raced to pass on Monday, following months of legislative stalemate. Yes, it is imperfect.  But it is nevertheless an indication that lawmakers are still capable of shaking hands on big legislation when national prosperity is at stake.

“The $900 billion bill would extend enhanced unemployment benefits for another 11 weeks, provide rental assistance to keep people in their homes and reinvigorate the Paycheck Protection Program that has kept businesses afloat amid the historic coronavirus shutdown.

“It would pump more money into vaccine development and distribution. While it lacks much-needed federal help for state and local budgets, it would funnel aid to some of the most critical areas of state and local need, such as mass transit, covid-19 costs and schools. Lawmakers hitched Covid relief to a big funding bill that would keep the federal government running through September.

“A welcome addition to the legislative package is a ban on one of the most obnoxious practices in the country’s health-care system, so-called surprise medical bills, a long-overdue bi-partisan reform that finally overcame intense industry lobbying.”

Of course, the relief package has flaws.  For one thing, it is late; it should have been passed weeks ago.  For another, the bill includes a few “earmarks” on issues not related to the virus, which illustrates the often-used definition of law-making – it often looks like sausage.

It also is possible to imagine that, as the virus rages and the vaccines are just beginning to be distributed, there will be a need for further relief after the first of the year, no matter what the loser Trump does.  If there is further action, it will have to occur by way of another compromise.

The Post’s conclusion:  “Governing in this environment will not satisfy the ideologues, and it will not deliver everything the country needs.  But as President-Elect Joe Biden has said, ‘a willingness to compromise will be essential to getting anything done.’”