The truth of the matter is you hold all the cards if you hold the House. The Dems knew that, and even when Republicans got the Presidency, and even when they got the Senate for a few years in the 80s, everyone knew that the Dems were still in charge of spending. It's why Reagan had to go along with their budgets, and could not get rid of Dept. of Education and Energy. If you control the House, and you have a spine, and are willing to stick to your principles, no one can do anything without your approval. You can bring the government to a grinding halt, and you can withhold money to anyone and everyone, judges, Presidents, states, welfare recipients, islamic enemies in Egypt, everyone. You just have to be able to say NO, and then not care when the Washington Post calls you all kinds of names. We might have 3 or 4 Republicans in DC total who have that kind of gumption. But if the situation were reversed, Dems would do it in a heartbeat, and they do have the gumption, all of them.
I truly am sick of the Republican party. It can't die soon enough.
I left the R party in ‘07, so I agree with you on their needed demise.
“If you control the House, and you have a spine, and are willing to stick to your principles, no one can do anything without your approval. You can bring the government to a grinding halt...”
1. I submit that R’s control the House but DON’T have a spine, so the argument is moot.
2. What you describe above is the proper function of a loyal opposition. What I wrote was “govern”. Those are two differnt things.
But these are quibbles. We agree on outcomes, and are just arguing strategy.