Here in Minnesota, we’re accustomed to the progressive definition of “bipartisanship.”  As my NARN radio partner Mitch Berg often points out, it usually means a Republican who supports higher taxes, spending increases, and criticizing everyone who opposes either or both.  We call those folks “Arne Carlson Republicans,” or “Democrats” for short.  Put another way, with apologies to Laura Ingraham, it’s the “shut up and spend” kind of bipartisanship.

Today, though, we can call Jim Clyburn bipartisanship:

House Majority Whip James Clyburn (D-S.C.) charged Sunday that Republicans need to stop talking about cutting taxes and “look to the future with a little more compassion and bipartisanship.”

Clyburn and House Republican Conference Chairman Mike Pence (Ind.) were asked on CNN’s “State of the Union” about the three-page letter President Barack Obama sent to congressional leaders Saturday, saying that the extension of tax cuts and spending programs was critically needed to keep the economy from sliding “backwards.” …

Clyburn charged that Republicans were approaching economic recovery with “a simplistic approach.”

“Let’s stop talk about cuttting taxes, cutting taxes, cutting taxes,” he said.

Okay.  Let’s talk about debt then, instead.  Since the beginning of 2007, Democrats have controlled Congress, and in three budget years have added $1.1 trillion dollars to annual federal spending.  It’s no coincidence that the budget deficit exploded to $1.3 trillion this year.

In order to right the economy, we have to get the government to stop burying itself further in debt.  The best way to do that is to cut off Congress’ credit cards and demand a rollback of spending, at least to FY2007 levels, and preferably to FY2000 or FY2002 levels.  Clyburn, however, doesn’t want his credit card cut off.  He wants to keep charging, and he wants to stick us with the bill — and our grandchildren, and likely their grandchildren as well.  Why?  As long as Clyburn has his credit cards, he can use his power to buy votes.

It’s not about bipartisanship.  It’s all about Clyburn and his top priority … which is Clyburn.  In any case, the notion that bipartisan means “shut up” seems to be a special province of progressives across the country.  That should make Minnesotans feel better.  It should also alert midterm voters about what a continued Democratic agenda will bring — massive spending, followed by massive tax hikes.

Addendum: Clyburn is also backing away from his allegation that Alvin Greene was a Republican plant.  Now he says Greene could have been a Democratic plant as well:

“I said he was someone’s plant. And it turned up after the elections, we found out, as I said earlier, something untoward was going on.”

Clyburn said that the campaign manager of Rep. Joe Wilson (R-S.C.) was also managing the campaign of his primary opponent.

“I saw the patterns in this,” Clyburn said. “I know a Democratic pattern, I know a Republican pattern, and I saw in the Democratic primary elephant dung all over the place.

“And so I knew something was wrong in that primary,” the congressman continued. “And this result tells us that. People intentionally circumvented the law, the rules and regulations, did not file any disclosures, did not file any of their campaign finances, yet they spent hundreds of thousands of dollars running this campaign and broke every law.”

Hey. Greene didn’t do any campaigning, Rep. Clyburn.  He didn’t raise or spend money, so he didn’t have any disclosures to make.  Over 100,000 South Carolina Democrats voted for him anyway.  If a conspiracy got Greene into the race, a conspiracy of dunces handed him the nomination.