Now that Democrats know they'll have the U.S. House of Representatives under their control next year, they're already making plans about how they want to wield power. And if early reports are any indicator, our friends on the port side of politics might want to tap the brakes.
Nancy Pelosi is already circling the party like an Australian shepherd, getting her folks right where she wants them in her quest to once again wield the gavel. And while many in her own party would like to see some fresh blood take over, Mrs. Pelosi remains a powerhouse fundraiser, and the bench, so to speak, is sorta empty. For now, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi appears to be an inevitability, and there's not much to be done about that.
Other indications are that some Dems are foaming at the mouth, not necessarily to impeach the president (though there are a few who'd like that) but to investigate him to death, or at least investigate him to pasture. They want his tax returns, they want everything on Russia, they want the dirt, and you know they'll use that subpoena power to get at it.
And then there's a report some on the left want a vote on single-payer health care. Here's more from The Hill: "Supporters say they are going to push for a vote and organize grass-roots efforts to pressure Democratic holdouts to sign on to the legislation . . . Rep. Raúl Grijalva (D-Ariz.), the co-chairman of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, acknowledged that centrist members did not want a vote on Medicare for all, but countered, 'There's going to be votes that we need to take.' "
Democrats have been without majority power in either chamber for about two years now, and it seems to have driven them into a frenzy. But if they keep going down this course, they won't just be flying too close to the sun, they'll be flying right into it.
Past and Future Speaker Pelosi has quite a task ahead of uniting extremely left-leaning progressives with centrist House members. She'll probably learn what former Speaker John Boehner and soon-to-be-former Speaker Paul Ryan did. It ain't easy herding lawmakers. They like to buck, and can get barny.
Editorial on 11/16/2018