The House Republican leadership team has presented a united front
against Nancy Pelosi's proposed rules
changes that would make it harder for the minority to have
any voice in legislating and easier for committee chairmen to
wield their gavels for life. "President Obama has pledged to lead
a government that is open and transparent," the leaders wrote in
their
letter (pdf) to Speaker Pelosi. "This does not represent
change; it is reverting back to the undemocratic one-party rule
and backroom deals that the American people rejected more than a
decade ago."
That's exactly the right tone to strike, though there is little
time to generate public outrage over a power grab that may seem
more like an arcane rules change and little that can stand in the
way of such a large Democratic majority. One-party rule isn't
likely to turn out to be "change" you can believe in.
