Americans delivered the House a record 63 Republican seats to ensure that the peoples’ voices would be heard. And, while the voters thought their message was clear and received, now, it seems, the real battle ensues.
While Congress continues to kick the budget and debt can down the road and passes continuing resolutions to thwart a government shutdown, the Democrat leadership has dropped several messages to the GOP leadership:
“They cannot agree with themselves,” said Hoyer. He called for Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) to distance himself from Tea Party conservatives and forge a compromise between centrist Republicans and Democrats.
Hoyer said Boehner should abandon the additional cuts conservatives muscled into the bill introduced by GOP leaders that would have cut $35 billion in spending this fiscal year, which ends Sept. 30. After an uproar from conservatives, GOP leaders rallied around a bill that would cut spending by $61 billion.
Of course he would say that.
This is not 1995 though and the game has changed, and frankly so have the rules.
The differences between 1995 and now is the fact that President Clinton used his veto power coupled with spot-on messaging:
On November 13, 1995, President Clinton vetoed a continuing resolution that would have kept the government running amid a budget impasse. The result was a partial shutdown. A few days later, he signed another continuing resolution providing funds for the government until mid-December. After that measure expired, he vetoed three appropriations bills, and another partial shutdown ensued. This one lasted until early January 1996.
Yes, Clinton called the GOP’s bluff and triggered a government shut down. The blame supposedly fell at the Republican’s feet. However, the GOP remained the majority party in the 1998 elections only losing five seats in the House, largely due to the fact that the GOP-led Congress passed popular legislation approval ratings remained consistent. Furthermore, President Obama is signing the CRs-he has no option-as the Democrats control the Senate. He couldn’t possibly risk the blame to lie with his party.
The Democrat’s political strategy, setup, and sting on the Republicans is as directed at the tea party as it is to fragmenting and alienating the GOP leadership with the freshmen members. This attempt to weaken Boehner as a leader and cause voters to become disenfranchised with the GOP sets up the 2012 election.
The GOP must remember that every time a Republican has the fortitude to stand up and call out the Democrats and the left, the people are behind them. They crave someone with that leadership quality and fearlessness. And this is why there is no front-runner in the GOP race to the White House.
Speaker Boehner must lead and unify the Republicans, stay on message, and obey the will of the American people. If he doesn’t, the GOP will suffer serious consequences and the mantra of “not only conservative, but Republican” will vanish-setting up third party races in 2012, GOP incumbent losses, and Democrat wins. However, if Boehner stands firm there will be no way the MSM machine will be able to beat back the sentiments and will of the American people for the results will be self-evident.