Congressional Republicans from across the ideological spectrum yesterday rejected the White House's open-wallet approach to rebuilding the Gulf Coast, a sign that the lockstep GOP discipline that George W. Bush has enjoyed for most of his presidency is eroding on Capitol Hill.The Republican Party has painted itself into a corner from which, barring a miracle, I very much doubt they can extricate themselves. Abadoning the grandiose, "we will do whatever it takes" promises their President made to the Gulf Coast last week will make Bush look even more ridculous and inept than he already does, will make Republican Congressmen look cheap and uncaring, and will give still more ammunition to those who argue that the Republican Party is racist and concerned only with the rich. Yet, they cannot keep those promises without totally alienating a significant chunk of their "base", since keeping the promises will involve tax increases (or at least deferral of promised tax cuts), massive increases in the national debt, and/or a Vietnamesque declaration of victory in and withdrwal from Iraq.
The situation we are in now demands genuine leadership. We are once again coming up against the Limits of Power, and we need to make hard choices. But, I am not at all sure where we will find the leadership needed to define those choices and make the right ones.
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