Bridge to Somewhere
The House GOP needs a new generation of leaders.
Friday, November 10, 2006 12:01 a.m. EST
As they lick their wounds, Republicans are no doubt wondering what went wrong and what to do now. The answers aren't all that complicated: Revive the reform convictions that earned them power in the 1990s, and start that process in the House of Representatives by electing a new slate of leaders.
Twelve years ago, the Newt Gingrich-led Republicans swept into power as reformers who ran against corruption and pledged to make government "smaller and smarter." Somehow, across the years, that conviction was replaced by Tom DeLay and the quest for permanent incumbency, Appropriations Chairman Jerry Lewis and the "earmark" brigade, and a retinue of Beltway retainers symbolized by Jack Abramoff. The current leadership let it all happen, and if Republicans want a shot at regaining control in 2008 they'll turn to a new generation to lead them.
If we had to pick the precise moment when House Republicans lost their way, it would be three years ago during the floor vote over the Medicare prescription drug bill. So unpopular was the bill among conservatives, and rightly so, that House leaders kept the vote open for an unheard of three hours as they dragooned reluctant Members to vote aye.
The other great symbol of GOP failure is the proliferation of earmarked spending. In 1994 there were 1,500 such projects stuffed into Democratic spending bills, and Republicans called this a fiscal disgrace. This year Republicans approved closer to 15,000 earmarks at a cost of more than $10 billion. The current leadership defended this earmarking even after such embarrassments as the Alaska Bridge to Nowhere were exposed. When they finally agreed to minimal transparency, it was too late.
Here's one telling exit poll result: In battleground districts, only one in five voters said Republicans would do a better job to "keep government spending under control"; almost twice as many voters said Democrats would do a better job. Yet this week a separate poll found that 59% of Americans still favor fewer government services and lower taxes compared with 28% who favor more government services and higher taxes. "Big government conservatism" was a nice think-tank proposition; it merely lacks support from actual voters.
As a minority party in Congress, Republicans must operate as the party of change, not of Washington insiders willing to sign away their principles for a courthouse or swimming pool in the home district. This doesn't mean they shouldn't work with Democrats when it makes policy sense. But they need to reclaim their fiscal conservative birthright.
Republicans also need to rediscover an agenda for reforming government programs that don't work or threaten to bankrupt future generations. The Gingrich Republicans did that with welfare reform in the 1990s, and they tried with Medicaid. Then President Bush gave Republicans a once-in-a-generation chance to reform Social Security and health care along free market lines, but GOP House leaders fought him behind the scenes. For this alone, they should be returned to the backbenches.
The Senate GOP also committed some of these sins, but likely Minority Leader Mitch McConnell isn't among the big offenders. He's made his mark on policy by fighting for free speech, among other things; he knows the intricacies of the Senate and is likely to prove formidable as an opposition leader.
The problem is the House, where Speaker Dennis Hastert has already announced he won't stand for minority leader. Others in the leadership are claiming to have learned their lesson and promise a new beginning. That's for Members to judge. But we'd be wary of leaders who stake their claim to power on their ability to soak the lobbying mecca of K Street, or who refused to challenge the Appropriators who did so much to besmirch the image of the current, and soon-to-vanish, GOP majority.
Republicans might also recall what happened to Democrats when they tried to regain the House in 1996 by running with the same leadership and agenda that had been ousted in 1994. Those Democrats failed, despite Bill Clinton's victory at the top of the ticket, because too many voters saw the same old story. If Republicans lose again in 2008, they could be in the minority for a long time.
The good news is that a younger generation does seem to be stepping forward. Mike Pence, of Indiana, has already declared for minority leader, and John Shadegg of Arizona is seeking the number two job as whip. Paul Ryan of Wisconsin, Jeb Hensarling of Texas and Jeff Flake of Arizona (see his essay nearby) are among the other Members who have tried to put ideas above mere incumbency. Republican Members will make up their own minds, but their willingness to consider new leadership will say a lot about the lessons they've learned from this week's drubbing.
Too many Republicans were corrupted and seduced by power and forgot why voters sent them to Washington. Winning back the majority requires new faces of leadership far removed from this year's debacle.
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