There’s something about articles highlighting Republican infighting that makes my day. The GOP is supposed to be the party of unwavering discipline, homogeneity, and Reagan’s 11th Commandment, which is why it’s always so encouraging to see them acting like, well, Democrats.
There have been plenty of fun recent examples, just in the last week. Chuck Grassley, for example, said last week the GOP isn’t taking executive-branch oversight seriously enough. Dennis Hastert made some waves by saying he doesn’t like the way the White House has been failing to work with Congress.
And now some House Republicans are openly criticizing the congressional agenda and the decision to give up on working altogether.
The war in Iraq and President Bush’s shaky poll numbers have some House Republicans expressing doubt about their legislative agenda and questioning why the GOP-led Congress has deferred many major decisions to the administration.
[…]
A GOP lawmaker elected in 1994 said that in the 1996 and 2000 presidential election years, Congress had not slowed down to the extent it has this year. Now, the lawmaker added, Republicans are just doing what is necessary to keep the government running.
“If we’re going to [remain on autopilot], let’s lay out an agenda for the 109th Congress,” the lawmaker said. “What are the campaign issues that say, ‘This is what you will see early in the 109th Congress?'”
It’s gotten so bad that Republicans aren’t even willing to blame Democrats.
House Republicans have blasted Senate Democrats for blocking the passage of key measures while Senate Republicans are so frustrated that they are considering changing the chamber’s rules in order to move controversial bills. But still, some GOP lawmakers remain unconvinced that Senate Democrats are the problem.
“We can’t be blaming [Senate Minority Leader Tom] Daschle [D-S.D.] anymore,” said Rep. Roy LaHood (R-Ill.), adding that there was a real opportunity following the 2002 elections to enact many Republican principles. “We all felt like this was our shot. … It’s a mess.”
When a GOP lawmaker decides to publicly blame his own caucus over Tom Daschle, you know there’s a problem.
Some Republicans are even committed to reclaiming some institutional authority Congress has given up over the last few years, whether Bush gets a second term or not.
Rep. Gil Gutknecht (R-Minn.) said: “I would expect that if — and I emphasize ‘if’ because you never can tell how things will turn out — if Republicans retain control [of Capitol Hill], Congress will reassert itself in many areas. We have deferred an enormous amount [to Bush] since 9-11. You can almost feel the momentum coming back [to Congress].”
I guess even Bush’s sycophants have limits.