House Republicans, derided as the “Party of No” during the unsuccessful 2012 elections, are reinventing themselves as the “Party of Yes” in time for the fall elections, banking that voters will reward them for offering workable policy alternatives to President Obama’s agenda.
“We plan to answer the question, ‘What are we for?’ instead of just being for repeal and rejection of Obama’s ideas,” said a key House strategist. “We will focus on policy, not attacks and politics.”
History suggests success. In 1994, armed with the Contract with America, and 2010, when Republicans offered an economic-focused Pledge to America, the GOP won control of the House. In 1998 and 2012, when Republicans simply bashed a weakened president, they fell short of expectations.
While the GOP is not writing a new Contract or Pledge, House Speaker John Boehner and Majority Leader Eric Cantor are working up an agenda based on issues such as taxes, jobs, energy and health care that will give candidates something to tout in their campaigns.
One example is a resolution just offered by House Republican Policy Committee Chairman James Lankford of Oklahoma, one of the party’s fast-rising stars. His idea: Help states enter into health care “compacts” to offer insurance, putting the power in local hands, not Washington’s.
“The 2012 campaign really ran on the concept of ‘We’re not them’ and really didn’t help. People need to know who we are. People want to know who they support, not just who they oppose,” said Lankford.
DOOR OPENS WIDER FOR 2016 REPUBLICANS
The inability of any Republican to keep the lead in 2016 presidential preference polls is teasing potential long shots to consider jumping in.
Secrets, for example, has been told that Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam and Tennessee Sen. Bob Corker have been urged to consider bids. And former Florida Rep. Joe Scarborough, host of MSNBC’s middle-of-the-road “Morning Joe” political gabfest, is toying with a run. Fans of Indiana Gov. Mike Pence are also pushing his name into the mix.
The reason dark-horse politicians are considering a race is simple, according to the University of Virginia’s political “Crystal Ball,” which declared: “This is a completely wide-open field with no one even approaching frontrunner status.”
‘SNAKE LOBBY’ HAS OBAMA BY THE TAIL
An unusual group of liberal and conservative lawmakers, a former Olympian and the Humane Society of the United States is demanding that the White House stop pandering to the “snake lobby” and ban the sale of exotic reptiles responsible for eating nearly every edible mammal in the Everglades.
At issue is a 2012 administration decision to ban only four of nine dangerous snake species that the U.S. Geological Survey said are likely to become invasive. Pet-store owners and reptile sellers, complaining about lost sales, forced the administration to allow the sale of the other five snake species, including boa constrictors, pythons and anacondas.
Now, armed with evidence that the still-legal snakes have eaten their way through the Everglades’ mouse population, groups have renewed efforts to stop the sales of the remaining five species.
“The administration needs to finish the job, partly to protect the immense national investment we as a nation have made in the Everglades and its protection and to stop this destructive trade in exotic pets,” said Wayne Pacelle, president of the Humane Society of the United States.
DC MUSEUM STARS IN PHILLY FLOWER SHOW
The annual Philadelphia Flower Show is breaking from its recent pattern of featuring countries and destinations, this year choosing to let floral artists interpret museum exhibits, including one from Washington’s National Portrait Gallery at the March 1-9 event.
“This is a real and welcome challenge,” said Eric Schellack, the “designer extraordinaire” who is building an elaborate display for show contestant, Robertson’s Flowers & Events of Philadelphia.
Schellack recently toured the portrait gallery for ideas and settled on the new “Dancing the Dream” exhibit. He isn’t building dancers of flowers, but instead using materials and orchids, lilies and others to evoke dance for the show titled “ARTiculture.”
He’s also weaving in some history, building one of his exhibits to recall the Cold War defections of Soviet ballet giants Mikhail Baryshnikov and Rudolf Nureyev.
While typically tied up on client events like weddings, Schellack said the flower show “gives us a chance to do something we want to do rather than what someone else wants us to do.”
Paul Bedard, the Washington Examiner’s “Washington Secrets” columnist, can be contacted at [email protected].
