in piece for tomorrow’s New York Times titled How the Republicans Broke Congress.
They acknowledge that they are both registered as Democrats, but point out they consider themselves moderates, and have worked with both parties over the years.
Relatively early in their piece, they offer these words:
Congress no longer works the way it’s supposed to. But we’ve said that before.
Eleven years ago, we published a book called “The Broken Branch,” which we subtitled “How Congress Is Failing America and How to Get It Back on Track.” Embedded in that subtitle were two assumptions: first, that Congress as an institution — which is to say, both parties, equally — is at fault; and second, that the solution is readily at hand. In 2017, the Republicans’ scandalous tax bill is only the latest proof that both assumptions are wrong.
They go on to say that they were not entirely wrong in 2006 but things have changed, largely as a result of action on the political right. They cite three key things, all of which will be familiar to long-time denizens of this website.
1. Beginning in the 1990s Republicans demonized the Congress and floutted the norms of law-making. In the process they succeeded in undermining public trust in the government.
2. The “Obama effect.” They contrast Democrats working with the 2nd Bush to achieve his top priority on education (for which some of us here were quite critical) versus the complete obstructionism of the Republicans to our immediate past President. There are so many examples they could have cited, and the final straw was McConnell’s blocking consideration of a highly qualified nominee, Merrick Garland, for a vacancy on the Supreme Court. It is worth citing the final sentence of the material on this point:
The Obama effect had an ominous twist, an undercurrent of racism that was itself embodied in the “birther” movement led by Donald Trump.
3. The changes in the media. While they go back to the rise of conservative talk radio, I think the genesis of the problem starts with Reagan’s choice of Mark Fowler to head the FCC with the concomitant ending of the Fairness Doctrine, which if it had remained in effect would at least have ameliorated some of the damage that has been done subsequently by right-wing media such as Fox and Breitbart, at least over broadcast channels. They do accurately note that there is nothing on the Left to balance what happens with the right wing outlets.
The latter half of the op ed is very thorough, and at least caused me to not merely nod my head, but also reflect further. Consider for example this paragraph:
Mr. Trump’s election and behavior during his first 10 months in office represent not a break with the past but an extreme acceleration of a process that was long underway in conservative politics. The Republican Party is now rationalizing and enabling Mr. Trump’s autocratic, kleptocratic, dangerous and downright embarrassing behavior in hopes of salvaging key elements of its ideological agenda: cutting taxes for the wealthy (as part of possibly the worst tax bill in American history), hobbling the regulatory regime, gutting core government functions and repealing Obamacare without any reasonable plan to replace it.
Note these blunt words: Mr. Trump’s autocratic, kleptocratic, dangerous and downright embarrassing behavior
Then consider the sentence that begins the next paragraph:
This is a far cry from the aspirations of Republican presidential giants like Abraham Lincoln, Theodore Roosevelt and Dwight Eisenhower, as well as legions of former Republican senators and representatives who identified critical roles for government and worked tirelessly to make them succeed.
There are Democrats who like Mann and Ornstein lament what has happened to the Republican party. I saw a tweet to that effect today from Gov. Brown of California. I think of Republican office holders when I was younger like Mark Hatfield, Jacob Javits, John Lindsay (before he became a Democrat as the Republican party began to move precipitously to the right), Bill Cohen, even Caldwell Butler of Virginia, who as a member of House Judiciary helped draft the articles of impeachment against Richard Nixon.
When our idea of a Republican ‘moderate’ is Susan Collins, there is not much left on the other side of the aisle. That is bad for our country.
Then consider this:
The failure of Republican members of Congress to resist the anti-democratic behavior of President Trump — including holding not a single hearing on his and his team’s kleptocracy — is cringe-worthy. A few Republican senators have spoken up, but occasional words have not been matched by any meaningful deeds. Only conservative intellectuals have acknowledged the bankruptcy of the Republican Party.
I have received criticism from some here by writing about opinions offered by Michael Gerson and Jennifer Rubin, to name just two. It is not that I necessarily agree with them on a lot of things — there are areas where I totally reject their thinking. But we owe credit to people like them, like former talk-show host Charlie Sykes, even to Bill Kristol, because early on they called out Trump and those enabling him. The same is true of Steve Schmidt, Nicolle Wallace, even Michael Steele (former GOP chair).
Many years ago those on the Left recognized that there had to be SOME lines, and rejected those who were Communists. Unfortunately, on the Right there never has been a similar cleansing. The Right has gone through multiple periods of too much involvement with, to name some examples, the John Birch Society, neo-Confederate groups, White Nationalists, and now even Neo-Nazis. They have at times enabled outright racists, anti-Semites, xenophobes, homophobes,and misogynists. The end result is not just Donald Trump, but crazies in state legislatures and county councils, school boards, and even the national legislature.
Mann and Ornstein, both moderates, do not think Democrats are angels and recognize that both parties can be pulled to their extremes. That sets up this final paragraph:
But the imbalance today is striking, and frightening. Our democracy requires vigorous competition between two serious and ideologically distinct parties, both of which operate in the realm of truth, see governing as an essential and ennobling responsibility, and believe that the acceptance of republican institutions and democratic values define what it is to be an American. The Republican Party must reclaim its purpose.
Sad to say, it is not just the Tea Party element that was exemplified by the former Representative Bachmann and more than a few of the current members of the so-called “Freedom Caucus.” If I had to name the person most responsible for what has happened it would not be Donald Trump. It would be the Senate Majority Leader, Mitch McConnell, who has done more than anyone in my lifetime to disrupt the norms and distort the polity of our national government. He is proud of what he has accomplished. He is just as much the face of the Republican party as is Donald Trump. And he is as a much of a reason as Trump that the Republican party no longer resembles even the Republican party of Ronald Reagan.
I strongly suggest you read the piece.