There is no Dem who would not prefer to be
in the majority, given the power implied by
committee chairmanships and control over
legislative resources. The centrist Dems
will be more powerful, not less.
A big problem is the unreconstructed Repugs
in the House. Their intransigence could mean
lots of gridlock -- both sides doing things
to position themselves for the next election,
rather than pass anything.
If Bush retains his influence in the House,
we could see something much more like Bush I
than the way this was shaping up. Bush's
daddy got rolled all over the place by
George Mitchell. That's why I once predicted
a renaissance of domestic spending, before it
was clear that Dubya was not inclined to follow
in his father's footsteps. Now he may be
forced to. Complaints over the education
bill by conservatives are a model of what
may be in store.
It does make a difference which party is in
power. That's why we should look to third
parties to build public support for progressive
issues and exert pressure on the Dems.
mbs
It has always seemed to me that conservative
Democrats prefer to have Republicans in control
of either the legislative or executive branch or
both. In this way, they can vote in support of
their donors and plead the need for bipartisan
compromise to their constituents. So what will
they do with their new control over the Senate?
Use it to stonewall Bush or argue that
they still need to compromise with a Republican
House? What are your thoughts on this Max?
Ellen Frank
