[quidnunc]

The Congressional Republicans aren't acting like a majority party, they're whining like a bunch of pathetic losers.

Dubya is taking political heat for some of the stuff that the doofus GOP congressmen should rightly be taking the blame for.

On bills like the farm bill and campaign finance reform individual congressmen voted to pander to their constituencies.

Now Bush is being given grief for not vetoing things which the GOP had the power to block initially.

The rallying cry of the Republican congressional delegations should be "Stop me before I spend again!"

During the administration of Bush (41), Congress passed bills just to force a veto, and those vetos were one factor in Bush (41)'s defeat.

Dubya warned Congress to be very sure that what they did was what they wanted because he wasn't going to spend political capital saving them from themselves.

[anniegetyourgun]

More of the same.

[thegreatbeast]

I'm glad this is happening. It needs to happen. The cogressional Republicans are almost all milquetoasts who have a smarmy, entitled air about them.
What comes out of the White House is frankly incomprehensible in relation to conservatism, Republicanism, national security and concern for American jobs and living standards.

[OldFriend]

Responding to anything written by Novak is a waste of time. The man is nothing but a trouble maker and never misses an opportunity to bash the President.

[jpsb]

"A few thoughtful GOP lawmakers ponder the record of the first time in 40 years that the party has controlled both the executive and legislative branches, and conclude that record is deeply disappointing."

Deeply disappointing doesn't even come close.

[dawn53]

What galls me about this story is that the presuppose that we would lose seats at midterm elections if Bush is re-elected.

That didn't happen in the 2002 election, the voting didn't follow an "historical" pattern, so why would they expect it to do so in the 2006 races.

[Copernicus]

The only reason the White House is entangled in the current WMD mess,for example, is because the President failed to use the bully pulpit of the Presidency to define and control the topic of Iraq.

Just one of many reasons this column resonates out in the hinterland.

I await now the arrival of the Bushbots to thoroughly thrash me.

Best regards,

[CWOJackson]

Sounds like some Republicans on the hill are trying to hide their own failure on the President's door step.

The Republican leadership continues to act like they are the minority party, while the Democrats learned very quickly how to be the minority part. They might want to concentrate less of being disappointed and more on trying to grow portions of their own anatomy.

[atomicpossum]

We're told the poeple like 'divided government.'

Well, it looks like they should vote straight Republican--they'll get it.

[deport]

A few thoughtful GOP lawmakers ponder the record of the first time in 40 years that the party has controlled both the executive and legislative branches, and conclude that record is deeply disappointing.

---

The sad thing is that Novak is helping promote the dissention rather than trying to help people understand it.... He's a tool of the democrats to which he is a registered member as I understand it.....

They act like the Republicans have controlled the Executive and Legislative branches for many years when they use the above quote citing "40 Years". In reality the Republicans have had barely "one Year" of control of both branches and in the Legislature the Senate by a whopping majority of only "ONE" 51 Republicans, 48 Democrats and 1 Independent.... The malcontents don't deserve the attention they get, imo....

[Biblebelter]

The problem with the Republican party can be stated with an athletic metaphor. It is pretty much a one man team, they do not have anything resembling a bench. If Bush is reelected who would run in 2008? If Chaney would have a health problem, who would replace him on the ticket. Ridge and Frist are not ready for prime time. I would hate to see the national party have to turn to the likes of Giulani or Schwarnegger. The congressional republicans are in such dire straits that when Newt stepped down the best they could come up with was Livingston. And then they got less than less than third rate with Hastert.

[Copernicus]

Perhaps this might help:

http://www.freerepublic.com/forum/a3a40bb29017b.htm

Best regards,