The House That John Rebuilt

S. Denice Newton (CableMuse.com)

Editorial by S. Denice Newton

The 112^th congress has officially convened and not without controversy. The former speaker of the house Nancy Pelosi relinquished the much-coveted gavel to the newly-crowned sentimental speaker from Ohio, Congressman John Boehner. With tremendous help from the TEA Party this past November, Boehner and his Republican colleagues bulldozed the house that Democrats built, handing them the worst political defeat in recent years.

With a majority presence in the House of Representatives and a significant increase in the Senate, the GOP is flexing political muscle and jeopardizing President Obama’s agenda. Republicans have vowed to repeal Healthcare Reform, curb spending, and overhaul entitlement programs without offering specific alternatives. Now that the midterm campaigning and election is over and winners seated, all eyes are on the GOP. Will they live up to campaign promises of transparency and submission to the will of the American people?

With the honeymoon over, marital problems between Republicans and the American public are already evident. Tea Party members are fuming that spending will not be cut as drastically as promised. They are quick to remind the GOP that without Tea Party support, their political gains would not have been as significant. Capitalizing on populist anger regarding spending and the federal deficit, Republicans pledged to return spending to levels prior to the stimulus and bail-out programs put forth by the Obama administration. Since taking over the House, they have begun backing away from that pledge. However, they maintain that they will reduce spending by a significantly less amount.

Politically, the next two years promises to be explosive and more divisive than ever. Bills and legislation will be conceived in the house and die in the Senate. Bitter rhetoric will be turned up to deafening levels as contenders for the presidency get in line. Partisan cable news and talk radio pundits will dominate the airwaves. Cannibalism amongst party members will be gruesome as the race for the Oval Office intensifies.

Taking cover in “freedom of speech,” inflammatory rhetoric will be a culprit in drawing out fringe elements of both parties. Americans will once again be forced to filter through the noise of partisan politics to seek truth. Boehner and company have a lot of work to do if they intend to keep the pledges boldly made to Americans. No longer can they just say “no,” cross their legs, and fold their arms as they await the self-destruction of Democrats. Republicans have rebuilt the house. Let the maintenance begin.