During the last days of the 2006 election cycle, Republicans cautioned voters about four big issues. They raised the specter of a parade of horribles should Americans shift power in the Congress from the Republicans to the Democrats. The alarm bells they rang were drowned out by the steady drumbeat of scandals that plagued the Congress during the last session. In the end, the Foley scandal foreclosed any possibility that the concerns they raised might sway voters to consider the risks of a Speaker Pelosi / Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid majority in the United States Congress.
House Democrats capitalized on the historical significance of the first female Speaker in the history of the Congress to pass largely popular measures during the first 100 hours of the 110th Congress. The real life implications in the change of power were left to another day. Well, another day is rapidly approaching.
There were three big issues that lingered in the background of the 2006 election. First, there was the risk that Congressional Democrats would cut off funding for troops serving in Iraq. No one questioned that the war in Iraq had become unpopular as the Administration increasingly admitted to mistakes after the fall of Baghdad. Yet, there was genuine disagreement about the wisdom of either an immediate withdrawal or a specific date for withdrawal.
Although the debate could not penetrate the steady news of the Foley scandal, many warned that setting a date for the cut off of funds for the war would be a mistake. Most conservative Democrats insisted that such an option would never pass. Well, they were wrong. It was not just the House of Representatives, with its more liberal wing, that passed the measure. The Senate followed suit in refusing to strip the funding limitations imposed by House Democrats.
Second, there was the worry that a Congress lead by the Democrats would inevitably become a vehicle for endless investigations with a constant eye toward impeachment. So far, the talk of investigations and hearings have crowded out any hint of effort toward accomplishing the real work of the Congress. Although ruled out early by the new Speaker as an agenda item for the House, the focus of both the House and Senate has been on subpoenas, investigations and hearings with a steady eye on the possibility of impeachment should the Administration not simply roll over.
Third, there was the issue of tax increases. Soon, the House will consider a proposal for the largest tax increases in history. There will be plenty of finger pointing regarding why taxes must increase. But, in the end, there will undoubtedly be significant increases in taxes. The impact of these increases on the economy will be noticeable. Already, there is an uneasy edge about them.
In the early days of the 110th Congress, Congressional Republicans staggered to regain their balance. They were kept off balance as they tried to cope with the partisan rules adopted and enforced by Democrats thwarting debate. The rules that Democrats had decried during the 2006 election cycle became the model for governance in 2007.
Yet, as the prognostications regarding a Democrat controlled Congress have materialized, Republicans have increasingly regained their footing. While, they may not have yet figured out exactly who they are, they have figured out who they are not.