Romney’s Pivot

As Romney moves to the center, he will get no help from the Republican Congress.

“We’re not a cheerleading squad,” said Representative Jeff Landry, an outspoken freshman from Louisiana. “We’re the conductor. We’re supposed to drive the train.”

Oh, goody. The GOP Congress will not allow Romney to shake the Etch-a-Sketch.

Undoubtedly, House Speaker John A. Boehner and Representative Eric Cantor, the majority leader, will move mountains to make sure House Republicans and the Romney campaign speak and act in lockstep toward the greater goal of defeating President Obama in November and retaining the House. At the same time, Mr. Obama has shown a desire to take advantage of the public’s low regard for Congress by likening Mr. Romney’s agenda to that of House Republicans.

But Mr. Romney may learn the lesson that has been imparted to Mr. Boehner throughout the 112th Congress — that the most conservative members will steer their own course, and loudly.

But just so we are clear here, there will be no move to the center for Romney. As Chris Hayes explains, sometimes the party has decided what’s going to happen regardless of what the candidate or President wants.

The President is a product of the party that nominates him and the party that will nominate Mitt Romney is unwaveringly committed to a singularly regressive agenda. No post election private reversion to the moderate meme will change that. So, as we enter the era of the pivot, don’t listen to what Mitt Romney says. Look at what his party is doing.