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Nothing like a little caucus unity and popular support to get the job done. The number of capitulations announced in the last week or so--estate tax repeal, permanent cuts, Social Security, now this--is simply stunning evidence of the speed with which political fortunes can turn on a single, unplanned event. Social Security was mostly an acknowledgement long overdue, but the tax cuts were by no means defeated, and this latest tactical loss represents a head to head test of political wills in which Frist, Hastert and DeLay found themselves forced to blink--and blink quickly.
The only way the Republicans were forced to admit that their intentionally stilted hearings were not going to suffice, was because no Democrats could be peeled off to play against the rest. It was just a couple days ago that I reported on The Hill's pessimism, but I'm thrilled to discover they were wrong.
The bully is being faced down, and is forced to flinch. If this advantage is not pressed for all our sakes, we'll have missed the opportunity. As much as it may feel exploitative to victims of tragedy, some of the proximate causes of that tragedy are still running the show, and they need to be stopped. This has become a keystone moment where it seems many Americans are re-evaluating how they want government to respond to their needs--and how much they want to keep getting policy and protection on the cheap.
So here's to unity of purpose, and standing up for traditional principle. There are plenty of upcoming chances to set the frame for discussion in the weeks ahead. Let's hope the Party builds on success and continues staying vigilant.
--TJ
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