GOP Plays Good 'D'

Weekly Standard: Republicans Stall Democrats' Agenda

(Weekly Standard)  This column was written by Fred Barnes.

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As the saying goes in Washington, when you're not on offense, you're on defense. This isn't so bad if you play good defense, as congressional Republicans and the White House have been doing. As a result the outlook for Republicans and conservatives isn't as bleak as it seemed right after last November's midterm election — and Democrats and liberals have found that enacting their agenda is far more complicated than they imagined when they captured Congress.

Democrats have themselves to blame, at least in part. They've tried to do the impossible: govern Washington from Capitol Hill. It never works. Republicans tried it after they won Congress in 1994, only to be thwarted by President Clinton in the climactic clash in 1995 over a government shutdown. They lost because they misread their mandate and overreached. Now Democrats are doing the same, particularly in their attempts to obstruct President Bush's counterinsurgency strategy in Iraq.

The message Democrats took from the 2006 election was that Americans want to clear out of Iraq as hastily as possible, whatever the consequences for Iraqis and the Middle East. So House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and her caucus got behind Representative John Murtha's strategy for micromanaging the war and draining Iraq of American troops. Victory? That's not in commander-in-chief Murtha's playbook. And once it became clear his scheme might endanger the troops in Iraq, moderate Democrats began to protest, as did an antiwar Republican, Walter Jones of North Carolina. Murtha became an albatross.

In the Senate, Democrats proposed a different tack: repeal or drastically weaken the resolution passed in October 2002 authorizing the war. A vote on this was urgent, Senate majority leader Harry Reid declared. But not so urgent that Democrats would permit a second vote on a resolution to continue funding the troops in Iraq. Democrats were wary of scrapping the option of cutting Iraq war funds, maybe later this year. But they feared being accused of not supporting the troops. This is when Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell stepped in. He organized one filibuster, then another, that blocked the Senate from taking up the war issue unless Democrats also allowed a vote on the Republican funding resolution. Democrats were flummoxed and still haven't figured out how to proceed.

Meanwhile, the Bush administration moved ahead to deploy more troops in Iraq and begin the counterinsurgency campaign in Baghdad — a campaign that provides a realistic hope of pulling victory from the jaws of defeat. To justify their opposition, Democrats claim it's not a new strategy. They are factually wrong. Bush may have been slow in ordering a counterinsurgency drive, but it is new.

That leads us to domestic policy, where Democrats are again experiencing a thumping. Pelosi impressively drove six liberal measures through the House in the "100 hours" stunt in January, but all six are now bottled up in the Senate. Several will pass — a minimum wage hike, subsidies for energy research — but only with serious alterations by Senate Republicans. The most egregious of the bills, which would have injected government price-fixing in the Medicare prescription drug benefit, was dead on arrival in the Senate, thanks to McConnell.

Organized labor's agenda, pursued slavishly by Democrats, has met a similar fate. Even before "card check" — which would have allowed unions to organize without an election by secret ballot — cleared the House last week, McConnell had pulled together enough Republicans (more than 41) to filibuster and kill the legislation. House Republicans, while losing the vote, did a good job of painting the bill as unconscionable.

A second labor bill would have imposed collective bargaining on Transportation Security Administration (TSA) employees, and the Republican response demonstrated how Senate Republicans and the White House can perform as a political tag team. Senator Jim DeMint of South Carolina signed up 36 Republicans to oppose the TSA bill. Though short of the number needed to filibuster, it was sufficient to sustain a veto. The White House promptly said Bush would veto the bill.

What all this means is no secret. When Republicans stop feeling sorry for themselves, they can be effective. They can't get much of what they want. They're not on offense. But they are preventing Democrats from gutting the war effort in Iraq and from imposing on Americans a vast liberal program they didn't vote for. This is a worthy endeavor and Republicans are off to a good start.

[clemenhagen1]

"But they are preventing Democrats from gutting the war effort in Iraq and from imposing on Americans a vast liberal program they didn't vote for."

Classic conservative thought by our good buddy Barnes. He claims victory, a veritable thumping, because Republicans can march lockstep to 36-54 wins. That's right boys and girls, a vote of 54 in favor and 36 against counts as a huge victory for the Barnes of the world because the McCollum led Senate can prevent virtually anything from coming to a vote. Man you must be proud! And all this to stop that "vast liberal program:" minimum wage for our poorest workers, competitive bidding on prescription drugs rather than more corporate welfare for an already heavily subsidized Big Pharm, reduced interest rates for kids trying to go to college to better themselves. Thank you for stopping our slide into Bolshevism! Lord knows what kind of a society we would end up with if we could get affordable prescriptions, earn a bare "living wage" and send our kids to college.

[zoroastor]

You see... for those of us too stupid to get Processor2's clever and witty little ruse, he is trying to filibuster this board. He keeps posting his identical inane diatribe in an effort to squash actual debate. Sound familiar? (But shhhhhh. In his typical neocon superiority complex-riddled mind and narcicism, he thinks we don't know. Just keep pretending we don't, and maybe he'll go away.)

[zoroastor]

Processor2

If you have nothing better to say than to insipidly repeat your one post, with occasional, unsupported snippits of what I suspect you consider witty dialogue, go on and continue to post it. It isn't changing anyone's mind.

LOL, LOL, LOL, LOL, LOL, LOL, LOL, LOL, LOL, LOL, LO

[processor2]

If it is OK for Democrats to filibuster, then it's OK to Republicans to act like Democrats, and do the same.

Enter the Democrat hypocrisy machine.

Why do liberals get upset when Republicans act like Democrats ?? I find it ironically amusing.

....

[processor2]

ZOROASTOR is living proof that liberalism is a mental disorder.

I actually feel sorry for liberals...all they see is misery, doom, and gloom. It must be horrible to go through life like that.

Most people I know are the "glass is half-full" kind of people, whereas, liberals are definitely the "glass is half-empty" kind of people.

....

PS.

If you want to know the real definition of intolerance, all you have to do is disagree with a liberal, and then listen to the hatred spew.

example.....Zoroaster

[processor2]

If it is OK for Democrats to filibuster, then it's OK to Republicans to act like Democrzats, and do the same.

Enter the Democrat hypocrisy machine.

Why do liberals get upset when Republicans act like Democrats ?? I find it ironically amusing.

....

[zoroastor]

Ah Scooter. Another neocon felony conviction. After spending millions of your money going after Clinton, how many felony convictions from his administration? Oh yeah - NONE. In fact, there haven't been any since the 80's Iran-Contra Affair. Who's administration was that again? Oh yeah - THE REPUBLICANS. But really I don't mean to be harsh. The Iran-Contra thing was really the first since... um... since.. oh yeah - WATERGATE! Who's administration was that again? Oh yeah - The NEOCONS!
You know one time is an incident. Two times is a COincident, more than that and we start to see a pattern.

[greybeardvet]

As usual, Fred Barns does little more than scratch the surface, but I guess he is useful as a sort of gossip columnist. It would be nice if he and his sidekick, Mort, could manage to say something fresh or insightful, but don't hold your breath.

As far as Senator Mitch McConnell is concerned I think we are looking at classic
American sleaze. He's championed corruption his whole life. It will be interesting to see how he and his Republican sidekicks try to stall or derail any investigation into the possible treason of Libby, Cheney, Rove, etc. Don't expect Barnes to say anything useful on the subject.

[zoroastor]

Yes. I reread all my posts. I can see your point. I am certainly unstable.
I tolerate people with different political opinions. I enjoy healthy debate. refusing to allow debate is different. Defrauding the American public isn't something that is up for debate. It is dispicable and intollerable. How many lies does this administration have to be caught in before you just admit it? Dems do. Clinton lied. Still a far better president than yours, in my opinion.
You are the one name calling "mental disorder" "traitorous dummy dems" etc... You are the one who is hate filled.
I'm on the side which is winning and increasingly expanding the lead. I'm not angry - I'm enjoying this. I'm not frustrated that the Neocons are getting their Butt$ handed to them. Watching the hate spew? Listen to Ann Coultier, Rush Limbagh, Bill O'Riley, et al.
Why not a repeat of your other posting? Do I detect a hint of irritation brewing?

[processor2]

ZOROASTOR is living proof that liberalism is a mental disorder.

I actually feel sorry for liberals...all they see is misery, doom, and gloom. It must be horrible to go through life like that.

Most people I know are the "glass is half-full" kind of people, whereas, liberals are definitely the "glass is half-empty" kind of people.

....

PS.

If you want to know the real definition of intolerance, all you have to do is disagree with a liberal, and then listen to the hatred spew.

example.....Zoroaster

[zoroastor]

Processor2

If you have nothing better to say than to insipidly repeat your one post, with occasional, unsupported snippits of what I suspect you consider witty dialogue, go on and continue to post it. It isn't changing anyone's mind.

LOL, LOL, LOL, LOL, LOL, LOL, LOL, LOL, LOL, LOL, LO

[processor2]

If it is OK for Democrats to filibuster, then it's OK to Republicans to act like Democrzats, and do the same.

Enter the Democrat hypocrisy machine.

Why do liberals get upset when Republicans act like Democrats ?? I find it ironically amusing.

....

[zoroastor]

Further, why should I, or anyone tolerate greed, shortsightedness, self-centered policy or comments. It isn't just a political issue here. It has been taken way beyond that. It is hatred, egocentrism, condecension and patronizing. I'm tired of it, and so are others. You want to debate? Debate. Name call and antagonize, expect more of the same in return.

Having said that... shove it.

[zoroastor]

Processor2,
Yes it is an example of the tolerance "I" personally hold for your ideals. It is not an example of the liberal mindset as a whole.
However, having come home disabled from Iraq, I have a lot of personal issues with someone like him who name calls as a matter of course. Having exchanged gunfire with terrorists, I rather resent being called "traitorous and dummy dem". So, if you have nothing better to say than to insipidly repeat your one post, with occasional, unsupported snippits of what I suspect you consider witty dialogue, go on and continue to post it. It isn't changing anyone's mind.
I am very much enjoying the demise of your party's short-lived reign, so continue to LOL, LOL, LOL if you want to, but see who's doing it in 2008.
Good luck with that smarmy, smug, adolescent bully attitude of yours when you don't have enough legislators to support it.

LOL, LOL, LOL, LOL, ROTFLMAO, LOL, LOL, LOL, LOL.

[clemenhagen1]

"But they are preventing Democrats from gutting the war effort in Iraq and from imposing on Americans a vast liberal program they didn't vote for."

Classic conservative thought by our good buddy Barnes. He claims victory, a veritable thumping, because Republicans can march lockstep to 36-54 wins. That's right boys and girls, a vote of 54 in favor and 36 against counts as a huge victory for the Barnes of the world because the McCollum led Senate can prevent virtually anything from coming to a vote. Man you must be proud! And all this to stop that "vast liberal program:" minimum wage for our poorest workers, competitive bidding on prescription drugs rather than more corporate welfare for an already heavily subsidized Big Pharm, reduced interest rates for kids trying to go to college to better themselves. Thank you for stopping our slide into Bolshevism! Lord knows what kind of a society we would end up with if we could get affordable prescriptions, earn a bare "living wage" and send our kids to college.

[bluestardad]

REPUBLICANS THANK YOU FOR IRAQ!

America Does not buy the sound bite that Iraq is the war on Terror or that if we do not fight in Iraq we will fight the Terrorist over in America. Unless you have been on your knees with your eyes shut in front of some Stalwart Republican like Mark Foley or Tedd Haggert you would have seen that Iraq did not attack America on 9/11 and that Iraq is in a Religious Civil War. The Hypocritical Abortion hating, Pedophile, Gay Bashing, Sausage Smoken Evangelicals who steals millions of dollars from widow women promising them Salvation while all the time seeing male Prostitutes behind their wife%u2019s back are not good Republican character references. While Pedophile Republican Congressmen are still at large. Congress and its Rubber Stamp Oversight of the Neo-Con, Chicken Hawk, Draft Dodgers who are sending others to war without ever serving themselves in the Military. The Republicans SUPPORT THE TROOPS rhetoric but can not even care for our Military wounded who live with Rats and Cockroaches at Walter Reed Hospital. The Sunni are funded by Saudi Arabia the Bush Family friends. Bin Laden is still active while Bush is secretly funding Sunni al Qaeda in Lebanon in an Iran Contra style under the table financing scheme outside Congressional approval.

If you think Americas sacrifice is worth it contact your Republican Congress person and tell them http://www.visi.com/juan/congress/

Here is the House Speakers email address: [e-mail]

[processor2]

If it is OK for Democrats to filibuster, then it's OK to Republicans to act like Democrzats, and do the same.

Enter the Democrat hypocrisy machine.

Why do liberals get upset when Republicans act like Democrats ?? I find it ironically amusing.

....

HEY ZORASSTER - Is is calling people names like "Leiberpussy" an example of liberal tolerance for alternative ideas that I've heard so much about??

LOL, LOL, LOL, LOL,

[mcvet]

LOL What can you expect from the Reich's Propaganda Rag? Of course they are going to try and make the best of a bad situation. The problem is they have addressed NONE of the concerns of this nation. They seem to think, somehow, just stalling the agenda of those elected to put it in place is a victory. Either they know nothing of history or are trying to recreate it. LOL

[zoroastor]

Hey Lieberpussy and Processor2,

Get used to losing pal!

This article is a dellusional dying gasp *wheeze* from the Grand Ol' Party. Well, party's over boys. You squeezed us for all we're willing to let you. You can bet that 08 will only put an exclamation point on what we are already TRYING to get through your thick heads. I CAN'T wait to see your reaction when a black or a woman is in charge. I bet McConnell has a heart attack. It isn't to late to emmigrate to another country. He11, I'll pitch in and buy the tickets.

[dallison7]

We'll see if these republican senators can maintain the smirk when they are back to selling used cars after Nov. 2008.