February 12, 2007

House Republicans: The Ship Keeps Sinking

I guess I’m supposed to be outraged or something because House Speaker Nancy Pelosi is getting access to a large Air Force jet for trips back home to San Francisco.

Yawn.

If the House Speaker would institute a flat tax, dismantle the Department of Education and withdraw America from the United Nations, she could fly on a double-decker jumbo jet with a personal masseuse, live bands and individually prepared meals.

I’d cook.

Acts of extravagance by elected officials always seem like good grist for rivals’ soundbites, but they are the emptiest of political messages. As such, the decision by House Republicans to jump all over Pelosi about the plane is a poor indication of the GOP’s readiness to reclaim control of the national debate.

“An extravagance of power that the taxpayers won’t swallow!” huffs Rep. Adam Putnam, the number three man in the House Republican leadership. Because, of course, an elected official availing his or herself of a perk is heretofore unimagined in America.

Besides, when the GOP controlled the House, they didn’t gang rape the taxpayers with billions in pork barrel earmarks for projects like the Alaska Bridge to Nowhere. Oh wait. They did. And taxpayers decided that if they were going to have a big-spending party in charge of Congress, they might as well elect the one that celebrates government spending with every fiber of its being. Why elect faux Democrats when you can have the real thing?

The Republican approach to the Pelosi plane uproar – which is to say, their decision to cause an uproar – does not see them off to a good start as the new minority party. Minority parties can basically take one of two approaches: 1. Whine, complain, accuse and generally snipe at the majority about everything (see: Democrats, 1995-2006); or 2. Bring forth bold policy initiatives, knowing full well that they can’t pass in the current environment, but nonetheless advocate for great ideas and keep fighting for their place on the national agenda.

Minority parties who take the first approach either have no ideas or have no confidence in their ideas. Then again, what ideas would we expect the House Republicans to have? When they were in the majority, they spent like drunken sailors while declining to take on any of the nation’s most pressing problems, like Social Security reform or domestic energy production.

Once in the minority, they elected pretty much the same crew of leaders that took their ship down in the first place. Ideas? From this bunch?

The current House Republican minority acts more like its antecedent under the ineffectual Bob Michel, the longtime Minority Leader For Life who accepted his role as Tip O’Neill’s lapdog and never in a million years expected to capture the majority. Michel knew the system when the Democrats ran the show in those days. It was all about individual members bringing home the bacon to their districts. If Bob could be Tip’s pal, Republicans wouldn’t be completely barred from riding the gravy train.

The new Democratic majority will do much that deserves to be criticized. Word is they may attempt to close Guantanamo Bay prison. They will certainly try to prevent President Bush’s tax cuts from becoming permanent. They will surely launch any number of politically motivated, sham investigations. When they do, House Republicans should criticize. It is their job to speak up about substantive issues.

But even there, one wonders if they will make truly substantive arguments. Guantanamo is an invaluable tool for gathering intelligence from captured terrorists, and if the rest of the world doesn’t like it, too bad. Will they say that? Or will they read the poll numbers and wimp out?

Then again, maybe they can just complain about airplane use by the speaker. What an outrageous abuse of taxpayer money! Earmarks for projects in Republican districts – now that’s an appropriate abuse of taxpayer money.

Conservative ideas are winners when offered by champions who present them with the enthusiasm and optimism they deserve. But it takes an intellectual heavyweight to win that battle of ideas. Slugs like these will stick with what they know, so we should probably expect more of approach number one.

Whine, complain, offer nothing. Just the plan to usher in a generation in the minority.