The Governing Party
by David Brooks
NOV. 6, 2014
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/11/07/opinion/david-brooks-the-governing-party.html?comments#permid=13273505
This is an understandibly euphoric view of the mid-term elections. There is no denying that conservatives won a huge victory and that the GOP has been greatly streangthended.
I hope, but doubt, that the crazy phase of the GOP is indeed behind us. As Mr. Brooks and most other conservative talking heads have stated, the spotlight is now fully on the GOP in Congress to use their majority to actually get something done, rather than continue to spend most of their time and energy to discredit President Obama (which has been their stated objective over the past six years).
The first test will be, if they can give up on their insane efforts to rollback, or otherwise weaken the ACA. By most objective analyses the ACA, although far from perfect, has achived its primary goals of reducing the number of uninsured, stopping the inhumane practices by insurance companies to deny needed coverage, and to stem the explosive growth of health care costs. Yet we already hear renewed battle cries by prominent Republicans, like Ted Cruz, that the opposition to ACA is still at the forefront of Conservative thinking.
The other urgent test for the GOP is, if they can actually come up with legislation to address some of the urgent problems faced by the US. I would even give the GOP credit if such legislation, although I may not agree with the policy, actually represents an honest attemp to solve a problem, rather than just to make a political statement and/or maneuver Obama into vetoing legislation.
I hope, but doubt, that the crazy phase of the GOP is indeed behind us. As Mr. Brooks and most other conservative talking heads have stated, the spotlight is now fully on the GOP in Congress to use their majority to actually get something done, rather than continue to spend most of their time and energy to discredit President Obama (which has been their stated objective over the past six years).
The first test will be, if they can give up on their insane efforts to rollback, or otherwise weaken the ACA. By most objective analyses the ACA, although far from perfect, has achived its primary goals of reducing the number of uninsured, stopping the inhumane practices by insurance companies to deny needed coverage, and to stem the explosive growth of health care costs. Yet we already hear renewed battle cries by prominent Republicans, like Ted Cruz, that the opposition to ACA is still at the forefront of Conservative thinking.
The other urgent test for the GOP is, if they can actually come up with legislation to address some of the urgent problems faced by the US. I would even give the GOP credit if such legislation, although I may not agree with the policy, actually represents an honest attemp to solve a problem, rather than just to make a political statement and/or maneuver Obama into vetoing legislation.
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