Eutrusca
02-10-2005, 16:08
COMMENTARY: Republicans' ideological approach to problem-resolution creates potential disaster for Party. Can the Democrats rise above their own ideological approach and offer practical alternatives?
G.O.P. Seeks to Regain Grip on Agenda (http://www.nytimes.com/2005/10/02/politics/02republicans.html?th&emc=th)
By ROBIN TONER
and DAVID D. KIRKPATRICK
Published: October 2, 2005
WASHINGTON, Oct. 1 - After a brutal political month, Republicans are scrambling both to reassure their conservative base and to send a broader message to the American public - that they are, in fact, confronting the real-world issues of soaring gas prices, Hurricane Katrina relief, Iraq and immigration, while the Democrats are consumed with partisan warfare. [ Good frakkin' LUCK! ] :(
In a range of interviews on Friday, Republicans acknowledged the shock waves of the last few weeks, capped by the indictment of Representative Tom DeLay of Texas, the House majority leader, which forced the reorganization of the Republican House leadership even as it struggled to deal with the fallout from Hurricane Katrina.
"It's been a difficult week, I'm not going to sugarcoat it," said Representative David Dreier, the chairman of the Rules Committee, who has assumed new duties in the reshuffling. "We know we've got a big challenge ahead, but we've got an agenda."
Representative Peter T. King, Republican of New York and chairman of the Homeland Security Committee, agreed. "You get your job done," he said. "You can't panic. Even though our poll numbers are going down, there's no great love for the Democrats, no great support."
There have rarely been more troubled times for the Republican governing majority. The DeLay indictment and President Bush's second-term slump in the polls come amid a host of challenges and problems in domestic and foreign policy, including rising gas prices, the furor over the government's response to Hurricane Katrina, and public discontent with the war in Iraq.
Many Republican strategists noted that almost immediately, perhaps as soon as Monday, the White House has the chance to dominate the political debate with the expected announcement of President Bush's second Supreme Court nominee. Some argued that an ideological showdown over that nominee could rally the party's base, underscore divisions among the Democrats that were apparent in the confirmation fight over Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr., and generally paint the Democrats as beholden to liberal interest groups.
"The debate over the next nominee will do far more to form the battle lines for the '06 midterm elections than anything involving the Congressional leadership," said Bob Stevenson, a spokesman for Senator Bill Frist, the Republican leader.
White House officials say the Supreme Court justice selection is only part of a busy domestic agenda for the fall that also includes a series of budget decisions on spending cuts and taxes, plus efforts to lower energy prices and increase supply. All of these issues were discussed at a meeting with the Senate and House Republican leadership at the White House on Thursday.
In the House, top Republicans held a long meeting on Friday morning to divide the majority leader's duties - Mr. DeLay was required to step down from his post after his indictment - and to discuss how to approach the rest of the year. Republican leaders also sat down earlier this week with restive House conservatives to talk about moving ahead on spending cuts, the conservatives' top priority and one of several sources of division in the Republican caucus.
And Republican leaders have scheduled a vote in the House late next week on a bill aimed at expanding refinery output and energy production, a clear response to the festering issue of gas prices.
In addition, administration officials said, the White House is focused on the Oct. 15 election in Iraq, and will push forward in Congress on an immigration bill, regardless of who is the majority leader. "We're not going to be bogged down," said Trent Duffy, the deputy White House press secretary. "The schedule is too full for that to happen."
For all the Republicans' bullishness, much of their agenda has clearly fallen by the wayside, at least for now, notably Mr. Bush's attempt to overhaul Social Security. And Democrats, emboldened, say Republicans underestimate their vulnerabilities.
"Republicans are blinded by their culture of cronyism and corruption," said Representative Nancy Pelosi of California, the House Democratic leader. "They're crumbling, arrogantly protecting their power."
Even as they point to Republican failings, Democrats are keenly aware that they "have an obligation to say what we would do differently," as Representative Rahm Emanuel of Illinois, the chairman of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, put it. In the coming weeks they plan to push forward with legislation in both the House and the Senate. Democratic strategists say the party is also working toward a unified agenda that it can carry through the 2006 midterms.
For their part, Republican Party leaders say they will continue to highlight Democratic vulnerabilities, beginning with what they assert is a lack of a positive vision for governing. "Their mantra is 'they're corrupt and everything they do is bad,' " Mr. Dreier said. But, he added, "You can't replace something with nothing."
[ This article is two pages long. To read the rest of the article, go here (http://www.nytimes.com/2005/10/02/politics/02republicans.html?pagewanted=2&th&emc=th). ]
G.O.P. Seeks to Regain Grip on Agenda (http://www.nytimes.com/2005/10/02/politics/02republicans.html?th&emc=th)
By ROBIN TONER
and DAVID D. KIRKPATRICK
Published: October 2, 2005
WASHINGTON, Oct. 1 - After a brutal political month, Republicans are scrambling both to reassure their conservative base and to send a broader message to the American public - that they are, in fact, confronting the real-world issues of soaring gas prices, Hurricane Katrina relief, Iraq and immigration, while the Democrats are consumed with partisan warfare. [ Good frakkin' LUCK! ] :(
In a range of interviews on Friday, Republicans acknowledged the shock waves of the last few weeks, capped by the indictment of Representative Tom DeLay of Texas, the House majority leader, which forced the reorganization of the Republican House leadership even as it struggled to deal with the fallout from Hurricane Katrina.
"It's been a difficult week, I'm not going to sugarcoat it," said Representative David Dreier, the chairman of the Rules Committee, who has assumed new duties in the reshuffling. "We know we've got a big challenge ahead, but we've got an agenda."
Representative Peter T. King, Republican of New York and chairman of the Homeland Security Committee, agreed. "You get your job done," he said. "You can't panic. Even though our poll numbers are going down, there's no great love for the Democrats, no great support."
There have rarely been more troubled times for the Republican governing majority. The DeLay indictment and President Bush's second-term slump in the polls come amid a host of challenges and problems in domestic and foreign policy, including rising gas prices, the furor over the government's response to Hurricane Katrina, and public discontent with the war in Iraq.
Many Republican strategists noted that almost immediately, perhaps as soon as Monday, the White House has the chance to dominate the political debate with the expected announcement of President Bush's second Supreme Court nominee. Some argued that an ideological showdown over that nominee could rally the party's base, underscore divisions among the Democrats that were apparent in the confirmation fight over Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr., and generally paint the Democrats as beholden to liberal interest groups.
"The debate over the next nominee will do far more to form the battle lines for the '06 midterm elections than anything involving the Congressional leadership," said Bob Stevenson, a spokesman for Senator Bill Frist, the Republican leader.
White House officials say the Supreme Court justice selection is only part of a busy domestic agenda for the fall that also includes a series of budget decisions on spending cuts and taxes, plus efforts to lower energy prices and increase supply. All of these issues were discussed at a meeting with the Senate and House Republican leadership at the White House on Thursday.
In the House, top Republicans held a long meeting on Friday morning to divide the majority leader's duties - Mr. DeLay was required to step down from his post after his indictment - and to discuss how to approach the rest of the year. Republican leaders also sat down earlier this week with restive House conservatives to talk about moving ahead on spending cuts, the conservatives' top priority and one of several sources of division in the Republican caucus.
And Republican leaders have scheduled a vote in the House late next week on a bill aimed at expanding refinery output and energy production, a clear response to the festering issue of gas prices.
In addition, administration officials said, the White House is focused on the Oct. 15 election in Iraq, and will push forward in Congress on an immigration bill, regardless of who is the majority leader. "We're not going to be bogged down," said Trent Duffy, the deputy White House press secretary. "The schedule is too full for that to happen."
For all the Republicans' bullishness, much of their agenda has clearly fallen by the wayside, at least for now, notably Mr. Bush's attempt to overhaul Social Security. And Democrats, emboldened, say Republicans underestimate their vulnerabilities.
"Republicans are blinded by their culture of cronyism and corruption," said Representative Nancy Pelosi of California, the House Democratic leader. "They're crumbling, arrogantly protecting their power."
Even as they point to Republican failings, Democrats are keenly aware that they "have an obligation to say what we would do differently," as Representative Rahm Emanuel of Illinois, the chairman of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, put it. In the coming weeks they plan to push forward with legislation in both the House and the Senate. Democratic strategists say the party is also working toward a unified agenda that it can carry through the 2006 midterms.
For their part, Republican Party leaders say they will continue to highlight Democratic vulnerabilities, beginning with what they assert is a lack of a positive vision for governing. "Their mantra is 'they're corrupt and everything they do is bad,' " Mr. Dreier said. But, he added, "You can't replace something with nothing."
[ This article is two pages long. To read the rest of the article, go here (http://www.nytimes.com/2005/10/02/politics/02republicans.html?pagewanted=2&th&emc=th). ]