As Republicans and Democrats absorb the significance of last week's election results, a few things are starting to become clear. For one thing, Republicans are finally starting to settle into the idea that they are the majority party in this country. They have not thought so since 1932.
I worked in the Senate in 1980, when Republicans won control there for the first time in almost 30 years, and I remember clearly the sense that this was all just temporary. In contrast to the Democrats, who treated Republicans like dirt, the latter were very deferential. They didn't treat Democrats with the same disdain, because in their hearts they knew it wouldn't last.
The memory of 1946-48 and 1952-54, the last times that Republicans held either house of Congress, were very much in their minds. Although no one ever said so, I think most Republicans in the Senate thought they would probably lose the majority in 1982. Consequently, they were fearful of alienating the Democrats, whom, they thought, would soon be back in power, lest they be punished as a consequence.
He's been off in the weeds for the last couple of months, opposing the war in Iraq and even questioning its legality. I thought Bruce had lost his mind.
Forgive me for reposting something that I wrote earlier on another thread. It is a concept that I would like to see have more discussion. ---
The unwillingness of Republicans to stand by 'our warriors' shows me that we have a lot of appeaseniks in our own party.
These appeaseniks keep thinking that if we are 'nice' to the dems, if we apologize profusely every time a Republican opens their mouth 'insensitively', we can get the Dems to go along with programs and bills in Congress.
GOP appeaseniks are treating the Dems like the left treated the USSR. We have to start treating the obstructionist party for what they are in reality --a virtual fifth column that would rather see our country sink than to remain out of power.