Happy New Year

The Republican Party – and its conservative backers – are understandably still celebrating the 2013 gift of Obamacare imploding. 

It’s tempting for the GOP to approach 2014 cautiously, even timidly, so as not to distract attention from the failing healthcare law.  But in politics, as in war, matters usually don’t follow plans.  So the GOP must be wary of being perceived as doing nothing.

Public opinion polls, of course, show strong disfavor for the President’s policies, besides Obamacare.  But the general electorate is hardly enamored of Republicans, either.  Plainly, a broad dissatisfaction with Washington politicians is a common attitude across the land. 

So the better course is for the House majority to push alternative policies – on health care in particular – and promote them heavily to counter administration attacks that the GOP “only opposes”.   Success with these efforts – combined with the unpopularity of Obamacare – should increase the prospect that we will be able to congratulate ourselves next Christmas on the earned gift of a Senate majority and continued control of the House of Representatives.

Accordingly, let’s look forward to a very Happy New Year!