The American Spectator

Two of the Wash Post’s better reporters, Juliet Eilperin and Jim VandeHei, had a terrific article in Sunday’s paper (plus a good op-ed the same day on a related topic), about how the House GOP lost its way and how its situation now parallels that of the Dems in 1994. (Matthew Continetti at the Weekly Standard also has a related piece out today, along with a new book on the same topic which has a main thesis that’s pretty much on target even if it will take a closer read to determine if all of his particulars bear out; some particulars, mainly in one chapter, are disputed by some of the principals.) What Eilperin and VendeHei report tracks closely with what I’ve been writing for years, since at least 1997, most noticeably here. (By the way, in my piece I quote John Feehery, formerly with DeLay and with Hastert, to ill effect. I must note that he had a snivelling, undeservedly holier-than-thou op-ed in the Post this weekend as well that had so many obnoxious assertions that it made me and several others gag.) The point is that the House GOP right now is in trouble specifically because of its own errors dating back a full decade. Errors of ethics and errors of legislative principal, especially on spending, pork and otherwise. More on this topic in a later post.