E.J. Dionne, Jr.,
has several examples of why the Republican Congress, while talking "bipartisanship" and "governing" is the same old same old (and, once again, thank you to all the Democrats who couldn't be bothered to get off their asses last November):
One example: The new rules would provide for “dynamic scoring” of tax cuts, which sounds very cool and forward-looking but for the fact that they aim to assert tax cuts won’t cost what they’ll actually cost. This, in turn, will make it easier for the Republicans to shower money on their favored constituencies while pretending to be fiscally responsible. [snip]
[T]he House leadership included another rule flatly designed to force cuts to Social Security’s disability program. If Republicans want to debate such cuts, fine, but don’t sneak them in through the fine print.
Then there is the move by both House and Senate Republicans to change the employer mandate in the Affordable Care Act. Currently, employers with 50 or more full-time workers have to provide health insurance to employees who work 30 hours or more, or pay a fine. Republicans want to limit the mandate to Americans who work 40 hours or more. In USA Today this week, Rep. Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) wrote that the purpose of the change is “so more people can work full time.”
But the change would have exactly the opposite effect.
Dionne doesn't even mention
this culture war stinker:
On Tuesday, the very first day of the 114th Congress, two lawmakers introduced a measure to ban abortions after 20 weeks, in direct violation of the protections afforded under Roe v. Wade. Reps. Trent Franks (R-AZ) and Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) reintroduced the Pain Capable Unborn Child Protection Act, the same legislation that successfully passed the House last year.
Or this one:
Speaker John Boehner and the House Republicans are planning to try to choke off President Barack Obama’s immigration executive action next week, according to multiple GOP leadership aides involved in the talks.
You may have noticed this emerging Republican-wired media narrative (or some variation):
the establishment Republicans are in charge now and are ready to govern, if only Obama will compromise! To which we say, with exhibits A through E above as evidence, please extract your heads from your asses and report things as they are, not as you wish them to be.
