As I mentioned in today’s Short List, Speaker Boehner has been neutered by Eric Cantor and his tea party cohorts, who want the government to live within its means so long as “its means” doesn’t have anything to do with the increasing revenue. Even if that increased revenue comes through a simplified tax code and is accompanied with $3 in cuts for every $1 in revenue. I think this presents Speaker Boehner with an opportunity, albeit one with severe short-term professional consequences.
As Ezra Klein reminded us this morning, on the whole the American people like compromise, even if a majority of Republicans do not. From everything that’s been written, it would seem like Boehner knew he had a sweet deal with the Obama administration and was inching toward taking it until he was out-flanked by Cantor and the far-right of the Republican party. I think Boehner ought to work with Obama to make this deal work and abandon Cantor and the tea party. I think Boehner needs to appeal to the cadre of remaining Republican moderates in the House and work with Obama and the Dems to avert what would be an unmitigated economic disaster.
Sounds kind of crazy, I know. But stay with me here. I believe there is a segment of the Republican party that’s filled with people who want a government to govern, and I think that part of the party knows how good a deal they have. They’re best personified by this column(NYT) from NYT Columnist David Brooks. And I think this is the part of the Republican party that Speaker Boehner represents. The trouble is this is now the minority wing of the Republican party. Time and time again, Obama chased the Republicans rightward (a whole other problem for progressives), forcing Republicans to abandon several smart ideas they’ve had in the past decade. They had to abandon them because Obama, the Other, embraced things like individual mandates and cap-and-trade. But I believe there is a sizeable number of Republicans remaining who aren’t Grover Norquist zealots and genuinely believe it’s the job of people in Congress to compromise in the pursuit of governance. I’m just hoping those same David Brooks’ Republicans are spoiling for a showdown with the tea party.
Which brings me back to Speaker Boehner and his opportunity. Given Boehner’s sensibility, he is not long for his own party lest he abandon his remaining moderation. If he can rally his fellow remaining moderates to get this deal done he will almost certainly lose the speakership, he will likely face a primary challenge, and he may well lose his seat, but it’s a play for his legacy. He could force the showdown between David Brooks Republicans and tea party Republicans. By falling on his own sword he may save the Republican party from permanent minority status. And history tends to smile fondly on politicians who put the national interest (and indisputably it’s in the national interest to increase the debt-ceiling and cut the deficit) ahead of fleeting personal aggrandizement.
Perhaps I’m overly optimistic. Perhaps I’m reading Speaker Boehner wrong. But if he is going to be robbed of his influence, why should he hold ceremoniously to a title and let his fellow Republicans run the economy off a cliff? Andrea Mitchell was on The Chris Matthew Show this week reiterating how much these negotiations and the compromise that will be reached is about leadership. I couldn’t agree more and I think this is an opportunity for Speaker Boehner to demonstrate his leadership and his shot to write his name into the history books of great Speakers of the House. If a deal doesn’t get done and the credit of the United States gets downgraded, well that path carries a legacy as well.
As Ezra Klein reminded us this morning, on the whole the American people like compromise, even if a majority of Republicans do not. From everything that’s been written, it would seem like Boehner knew he had a sweet deal with the Obama administration and was inching toward taking it until he was out-flanked by Cantor and the far-right of the Republican party. I think Boehner ought to work with Obama to make this deal work and abandon Cantor and the tea party. I think Boehner needs to appeal to the cadre of remaining Republican moderates in the House and work with Obama and the Dems to avert what would be an unmitigated economic disaster.
Sounds kind of crazy, I know. But stay with me here. I believe there is a segment of the Republican party that’s filled with people who want a government to govern, and I think that part of the party knows how good a deal they have. They’re best personified by this column(NYT) from NYT Columnist David Brooks. And I think this is the part of the Republican party that Speaker Boehner represents. The trouble is this is now the minority wing of the Republican party. Time and time again, Obama chased the Republicans rightward (a whole other problem for progressives), forcing Republicans to abandon several smart ideas they’ve had in the past decade. They had to abandon them because Obama, the Other, embraced things like individual mandates and cap-and-trade. But I believe there is a sizeable number of Republicans remaining who aren’t Grover Norquist zealots and genuinely believe it’s the job of people in Congress to compromise in the pursuit of governance. I’m just hoping those same David Brooks’ Republicans are spoiling for a showdown with the tea party.
Which brings me back to Speaker Boehner and his opportunity. Given Boehner’s sensibility, he is not long for his own party lest he abandon his remaining moderation. If he can rally his fellow remaining moderates to get this deal done he will almost certainly lose the speakership, he will likely face a primary challenge, and he may well lose his seat, but it’s a play for his legacy. He could force the showdown between David Brooks Republicans and tea party Republicans. By falling on his own sword he may save the Republican party from permanent minority status. And history tends to smile fondly on politicians who put the national interest (and indisputably it’s in the national interest to increase the debt-ceiling and cut the deficit) ahead of fleeting personal aggrandizement.
Perhaps I’m overly optimistic. Perhaps I’m reading Speaker Boehner wrong. But if he is going to be robbed of his influence, why should he hold ceremoniously to a title and let his fellow Republicans run the economy off a cliff? Andrea Mitchell was on The Chris Matthew Show this week reiterating how much these negotiations and the compromise that will be reached is about leadership. I couldn’t agree more and I think this is an opportunity for Speaker Boehner to demonstrate his leadership and his shot to write his name into the history books of great Speakers of the House. If a deal doesn’t get done and the credit of the United States gets downgraded, well that path carries a legacy as well.
