Historians will long point to the 2010 election as one of America’s historic political watershed moments. The GOP captured about 65 House seats (some are yet to be called), reclaiming the majority control, and picked up six crucial Senate seats, as well. The Democrats’ advantage of two governorships (26-24) evaporated on election night giving Republicans a dominating 29-19-1 majority of Governor Mansions leading into redistricting battles and the 2012 Presidential election. Nearly 700 state legislative seats previously held by Democrats flipped to Republican candidates, and 19 separate state legislative chambers shifted from Democrat majorities to GOP control.
Telling the story in jaw dropping graphics, the New York Times described the election results for exactly what it was; “A Historic Shift.” Virtually every congressional district and every demographic group shifted to the right in this election.
The scale of the seismic shock to Nancy Pelosi’s House was greater than even the huge loss of so many individual members. As Stephen Dinan of the Washington Times documented, the Democrats lost about 400 years of seniority including key committee chairmen such as John Spratt (South Carolina – Budget – 14 terms), Jim Oberstar (Minnesota – Transportation – 18 terms), and Ike Skelton (Missouri – Armed Services – 17 terms).
Chet Edwards (TX- 10 terms), an Appropriations Subcommittee Chairman, lost to Bill Flores. Solomon Ortiz (TX-14 terms), Chairman of the Armed Services Subcommittee on Military Readiness was defeated by Blake Farenthold.
In addition, David Obey (WI- 21 terms) chairman of the Appropriations Committee retired rather than face re-election. Republican Sean Duffy captured that seat by an 8 point margin. Alan Mollohan (WV – 14 terms), an appropriations subcommittee chairman lost in a primary. The GOP captured that seat anyway with David McKinley.
Voters penalized the incumbents for implementing Barack Obama’s “transformational agenda.” They had seen enough of the Hope-and-Change that was shoved through by Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid with blind acquiescence from the compliant Democrats. “We the People” took a stand and made a strong statement; “You can keep your change. We want our Country back!”
P.J. O’Rourke, political pundit and contributing editor for The Weekly Standard, might have summarized it best: “This is not an election. This is a restraining order.”
Victories are great, and winning feels good. But, voters didn’t just grow weary of seeing Nancy Pelosi at the Speaker’s podium. They want action.
John Boehner, the presumed Speaker-elect, his leadership team and the new GOP majority have serious work to do. Complicating their job is the reality that the necessary 60 votes for passage of legislation in the Senate is likely impossible on anything of significant substance (like repeal of ObamaCare). And, of course, to make law takes the President’s signature, and Barack Obama isn’t likely to sign off on much that reverses his agenda of the past two years. So, gridlock has likely returned to Capitol Hill, and that’s not so bad. Stopping the speeding Obama Locomotive is a great first step, and that’s the “restraining order” O’Rourke had in mind.
The House also controls the nation’s check book, and likewise, that’s an enormously powerful weapon that the GOP can use to defund government programs and reign in spending.
As John Boehner has already made clear, while the new House majority may not be able to write a lot of new law, they are not without plenty of tools with which to do a lot of what the voters entrusted them to get done.
When Republicans were last in the majority, they controlled both the House and Senate and George W. Bush occupied the White House. Not only did they lose their way, increasing the size of government and ballooning spending, but the Leadership in the House and Senate was reluctant to advance legislation to address the big needs of the country unless they knew they had the votes for passage in both Chambers, along with the support of the White House. That reluctance greatly limited the scope of the agenda and stifled debate on critical issues the voters understood needed to be addressed.
Entitlement reform was the 900 pound gorilla inside the Capitol, but the House never took up legislation because the Senate didn’t have votes for passage. Border Security needed to be addressed, but other than nipping at the edges, little was done because of the White House’s insistence on “comprehensive immigration reform” and consensus in both chambers to challenge the President evaded us. While tax rates were reduced in 2001 and 2003, and the economy recovered well from the recession and the impacts of the 9/11 attacks, neither the House nor the Senate even held a hearing on real systemic reform of the Tax Code that would benefit the economy long term.
Explaining the reluctance of the House to at least consider the obvious big issues of the day – the needs of the nation – one of the Leaders often said, “I’m not bringing legislation to the floor unless I know I’ve got the votes to pass it.” Another said, “I’m not interested in debate. I’m interested in writing law.”
That is short-sighted, shallow reasoning at best. While, it may make some political short-term sense, it doesn’t serve the longer term needs of the country, and it doesn’t do the hard work of the people that the Members of Congress were elected to do.
Unlike the last time the GOP held the House majority with the 109th Congress, Boehner won’t have to worry about whether the Senate can pass what the House gets done, nor does he have to first check with the White House. He likely knows the answers to both of those questions already.
And, unlike the role of the GOP to play defense as the loyal opposition for the last four years, Boehner & Co. can go on offense. In many ways, the 2010 election results marked the opening round of the 2012 Presidential election cycle. In 2012 voters will be given a choice to give Obama four more years and roll back the GOP majority, or to put a new occupant in the White House and more conservatives on Capitol Hill. The voters’ decision will rest largely on how well Boehner plays offense and makes his case for the next two years.
Whether Boehner and the GOP can repeal ObamaCare or not, they need to demonstrate to the American people that they heard the message and will do their part. If the Democrats in the Senate won’t play ball – fine! Shame them and get them on record again for being out of touch with the American people. Another election is coming in 2012 and 21 Democrat Senators and the two so-called Independents are up for re-election then.
Boehner and Eric Cantor, the Majority Leader who’ll be in charge of managing the House Floor legislative agenda, have already indicated they intend to bring a steady barrage of spending reductions, cost savings proposals to the floor week after week. If they do, the GOP will expose the inefficiency and waste in the federal government. Let the Democrats and Obama oppose it at their own risk. There’s another election in just over 700 days.
Pass border-security-first legislation, and if the Democrats and Obama want to be on record as voting against it and holding out for amnesty – fine! Get them on the record for the 2012 election.
Give Dave Camp, the brilliant incoming Chairman of Way & Means, free reign to hold hearings and bring legislation to really reform the tax code. Send a message to America and the world that we are open for business again, that profit is not bad thing, that entrepreneurship will be encouraged and celebrated, and that the successful will be applauded instead of vilified and punished. Then watch as the economy recovers, capital begins to flow, consumer confidence returns, and private sector jobs are created again.
Many big obvious issues await, Mr. Boehner. He knows what they are, and I’m confident that he and his capable team – with a big assist from a huge freshmen class ready to get after it – will get the job done.
However, the biggest need, the primary issue facing America that the new Speaker and his GOP colleagues need to address is this - Restore the America Dream – make us believe again.
Just two years ago a significant majority of voters wanted to believe in Barack Obama, that he had the magic to reinvigorate our sense of national pride, get us beyond partisan bickering, right the woes of the struggling economy, talk our way out of international crises, turn adversaries into friends with his over-estimated enchanting aura. To say that hasn’t happened is an understatement.
Instead of hope, cynicism is rampant in America. Obama’s approval rating has plummeted, and voter’s hold Congressional leadership in even lower regard. Americans realize Obama has neither magical nor divine power. His agenda of change not only hasn’t fixed our problems; arguably, his policies have worsened an already bad situation. Obama’s prediction that his Economic Stimulus would keep unemployment under 8.0% proved laughable. His pledge to “save-or-create” 3.5 million jobs missed by about 5 million. He has proven completely impotent to halt the Iranian obsession to develop a nuclear weapon. His attempt to land the Olympics for his hometown turned into an international embarrassment when Chicago was the first bid rejected. Most recently he returned to Washington from the G-20 Economic Summit chastised for his economic policies “19-1”, as one leading newspaper reported, and empty handed from his attempt to get a trade agreement with South Korea. It’s hard to point to any Obama successes.
And, then there is the debt.
When Nancy Pelosi was handed the gavel as the new Speaker of the House on January 4, 2007 she made this pledge:
“After years of historic deficits, this 110th Congress will commit itself to a higher standard; pay-as-you-go, no new deficit spending. Our new America will provide unlimited opportunity for future generations, not burden them with mountains of debt.” (Emphasis added)
The House erupted in a standing ovation as she said those words. Had Pelosi, her Senate counterpart Harry Reid, Barack Obama and the Democrat members of Congress actually meant that pledge, they would undoubtedly still have the majority and Republicans would be on the outside looking in. But, that pledge was $5 trillion dollars of red ink ago, with the Democrats promising more deficits spending of a trillion dollars or so for years to come.
The voters are angry, and they made their feelings known on Nov. 2. As Larry Sabato, the Director of Public Policy at the University of Virginia summarized the public’s attitude, “it’s hard to feel optimistic when pretty much everything appears to be going to hell in a hand basket.”
Americans’ angst runs deep. More than 2 in 3 are convinced the country is on the wrong track. Only a third of the voter’s are optimistic about our system of government, but by a margin of 3:1 they blame the politicians that are currently in charge, not the “system” per se.
Most shocking, almost 1-in-4 Americans no longer believe America is the greatest nation in the world, and among those 18-29 years old, only 61% think the USA is the best.
That hurts deeply. It cuts to the core of our culture, our belief system, our individual and national psyche. America has been through tough times and serious threats before, but the belief that we were the best, that we would prevail, and that through our own hard work, sacrifice, personal initiative, the freedom guaranteed us, and the blessings bestowed on this land by our Creator – well, that American Dream is what always got us through the worst of times.
Throughout our history, tough times included, the America Dream was alive and well and was as reliable, dependable, and a fact of life as much as the sun coming up every morning. Personally, I never, never, never thought there was any doubt.
Apparently, for quite a few people in America today, there is doubt that the Dream still works. They either doubt or have rejected the concept of American Exceptionalism. Tragically, Barack Obama is one of them.
The American Dream is not fantasy, not intangible – it is real. And, it is important. It is our soul.
I lived it, and so too have hundreds of millions. The understanding that in America unlimited opportunity really did exist for everyone. That our laws really did reflect a belief system that all are created equal. That our freedom and liberty were unalienable gifts from our Creator, not metered out from a government. And, most significantly, that government got whatever power it had from the consent of the governed, not the other way around.
For more than 200 years, the belief in the American Dream has resulted in successive generations “having it a little better” than their parents did. The USA produced more wealth, more charity, more product, more invention, and more freedom at home and around the world because of a belief in the American Dream than any nation in the history of the world.
Every generation of Americans since the earliest colonial days has been able to positively affirm to the next that they did all that was required of them to defend and preserve that liberty – the American Dream – for the next. Are we to be the first to be unable to make that affirmation? I hope and pray that we are not.
So, to Mr. Boehner, and his Republican colleagues – and I would hope that the Democrats would join in, too – I issue what I think is the nation’s most pressing need, Restore the Dream!
Address all the obvious issues, do the work of the people, and for heaven’s sake listen! Demonstrate for all of us that you are deserving of the trust voters placed in you. Make us proud, and give us a good reason to believe again.
