Republicans Face a Choice in How to Oppose

[ProSense]

What's Boehner's agenda? Is it still the Pledge?

Is his plan to simply to repeal the Democratic agenda?

Can you imagine the comparisons a year or two from now: Pelosi's accomplishments from 2009 to 2011 vs. Boehner's record over the next two years?

Republicans Face a Choice in How to Oppose

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But to adopt a less substantive, more cultural kind of opposition, while it might satisfy a lot of Tea Party types, would be to court another voter revolt in 2012 or 2016. After all, if exit polls and conversations with individual voters are any indication, a lot of the unrest that came to the surface Tuesday had to do with the perception that no one in Washington is serious about solving problems like the national debt. It’s hard to see how more subpoenas and more blocked judges are going to change that perception.

Many Republicans seem to hope they won’t have to choose the direction, that they can just sit back and respond, either culturally or intellectually, to various pieces of Mr. Obama’s agenda. But there will be pivotal moments of choice for the Republican opposition, and one of them may be only weeks away.

In December, Mr. Obama’s debt-reduction panel (of which Mr. Ryan is a member) is supposed to release its findings on the budget, which, assuming the bipartisan panel can’t reach a consensus, will most likely encompass several options for reducing spending in the long term.

A Palinesque opposition would probably seize on proposed tax increases or benefit cuts in the plans, accuse Mr. Obama of creating the commission as a gimmick and dismiss the whole exercise as just another waste of the citizens’ money. A more intellectual approach would be to embrace the most conservative option offered by the panel and take it up for debate, in hopes of pressuring the White House into some meaningful compromise.

Which way the new Republican majority goes will say a lot, perhaps, about whether it intends to oppose the president’s identity or his ideas.

Edited for clarity, yikes.

[ProSense]

1. No comment? n/t

[Cognitive_Resonance]

2. If the Republicans aren't sweating this, they should be. I expect they will overreach and fail, then

all Hell breaks loose within their ranks as a mutiny unfolds. It wouldn't be too surprising if a mutiny attempt occurs early. The House "leadership" team doesn't appear to be very strong, and they have a super size helping of crazies in their ranks.

[ProSense]

3. It will be interesting to

see how they reconcile House leadership with a Senate minority.

The GOP/teabagger House could potentially go off the rails, what are Senate Republicans going to do with their hands tied?