For all the olive branches extended to Republicans by President Obama, all they ever give back is a sharp stick in the eye:
GOP says compromise not on the agenda if they retake the House
Republicans aren't interested in compromising with President Obama on major issues if they retake the House or Senate, a senior GOP lawmaker said.
"Look, the time to go along and get along is over," said Rep. Mike Pence (Ind.), the chairman of the House Republican Conference. "House Republicans know that. We’ve taken firm and principled stands against their big government plans throughout this Congress, and we’ve got, if the American people will send them, we’ve got a cavalry of men and women headed to Washington, D.C. that are going to stand with us."
Pence said his party wouldn't compromise on issues like spending or healthcare reform, two of the weightiest items on Congress's agenda next year, when the Republicans could control one or both chambers.
"Look, there will be no compromise on stopping runaway spending, deficits and debt. There will be no compromise on repealing Obamacare. There will be no compromise on stopping Democrats from growing government and raising taxes," Pence told conservative radio host Hugh Hewitt Thursday evening. "And if I haven’t been clear enough yet, let me say again: No compromise."
Pence's vow isn't exactly a shock. After all, his party believes that the federal government is the root cause of every problem in this country. If they had their way, we wouldn't have things like Social Security, Medicare, interstate highways, student aid, civil rights legislation, or Constitutional protections for individual privacy. To paraphrase Scott McAdams, Republicans want to repeal the entire 20th century. And when your goal is to repeal the 20th century, there really isn't any room for compromise.
Pence's vow is an explicit declaration that if Republicans take back the House, the second half of President Obama's first term will be an even more intense political struggle than was the first. Let's hope they lose, because the last thing this country needs is two long years stuck in neutral.