Voices
The name and the practice date
to the early 19th century. But a
combination of technology and
federal civil rights laws has produced an unusually large number
of “safe” congressional districts,
both red and blue. Democrats
obtained more high-percentage
“minority” districts; Republicans
used control of state legislatures
to draw more white conservative ones. The situation suited
both parties, if not the country.
The result: tea party Republicans
can issue demands with impunity, and “moderate” Republicans
risk a challenge from the right if
they’re seen as collaborators.
10. THE END OF ‘REGULAR ORDER’
The old legislative machinery of
Congress has been largely destroyed, which means that every
major bill is an existential crisis and every crisis a possible
meltdown. Budget reforms of the
1970s, meant to smooth the flow
of financial decisions, gummed up
the works instead. The committee system lies in ruins, robbed of
patronage, earmarks, privacy and
seniority — that is, the discipline
and grease that enabled deal-making. Everything is rolled into one
life-or-death struggle.
HOWARD
FINEMAN
HUFFINGTON
10.27.13
The U.S. was the only
major industrial country
without national heath
care, and even though
Obamacare relies on the
typical American mix of
private sector profit and
government regulation, it
remains a bone in the throat
of American politics.”
11. THEY EITHER DON’T
KNOW OR HATE EACH OTHER
Congress mirrors our socially divided culture. Members have little
contact with those in the other
party. They are too busy raising
money, feeding their favorite media
beasts or plotting partisan strategy. The “schmooze factor” can be
overrated, but deep personal relationships do help, as MSNBC host
and former Hill staffer Chris Matthews documents in his new book,
Tip and the Gipper: When Politics
Worked. Today it’s just the opposite: Members of one party campaign against their “colleagues” in
the other, even showing up in person in that colleague’s home state
or district. Check out the relationship between Senate leaders Harry
Reid and Mitch McConnell.
12. MISJUDGING OBAMA
Much of the “mainstream media”