Twelve months is not a long time, but thats all the time future House Speaker John Boehner has to bring his “Republican agenda” to the American people as the presidential campaign begins next November. Somewhere between Boehner’s gin and tonics and golfing rounds, he’s going to have to come up with what his plans are. With only a vague agenda in place with no policy plans, what’s the Republican leadership going to do? From what I’ve read, Boehner has three agenda points with no plans: Cut Spending, Keep Bush’s tax cuts and Create jobs. But in keeping Bush’s tax cuts, what is Boehner going to cut. The New York Times sums up this problem very well:
Voters want federal spending curtailed, but jealously guard costly entitlements.
And, finally, the loose cannon in all of this — the Tea Party representatives and senators. How will Boehner and Minority Senate leader McConnell going to keep them in line? They couldn’t do so during this year’s Republican primaries, so how are they going to control them when they get to Washington?
I am very much looking forward to watching the Republicans try to govern. Next year will be much more difficult for the Congressional Republicans than being the Party of No for the last two years.