If Republicans Enjoy Minority, Keep the Current Congressional Leadership

As much as I hate to say it, Republicans deserved to remain in the minority in congress this year.

Now I've considered myself a Republican since before I could vote, so I'm not some some wild-eyed MoveOn.orger saying this.

Think about it: what did Republicans do to deserve leadership of congress? I'm not asking if Democrats deserve it; did Republicans do anything to merit being awarded leadership of congress?

Do you hear the crickets chirping? So do I.

Did they expect the voters to give it to them simply because they're not as bad as the Democrats? That might have cut the mustard in some bygone age, but in this age of cynicism and lack of ideological education on the part of the general public, that dog don't hunt.

Oh, there were some individual cases and races where the Republican candidate was clearly a better choice than the Democrat. Here in South Dakota, Joel Dykstra would have made a far better choice than incumbent Senator Tim Johnson both on the basis of ideology and capability. Chris Lien also showed the kind of proactive fact-finding, solution-oriented leadership that incumbent Rep. Stephanie Herseth Sandlin has only dared dream of.

But in those marginal races where the question of a candidate's contribution to majority-party leadership could have tipped the balance, there was simply nothing there to make the scales fall on the other side...

READ MORE...