The art of compromise

It was Benjamin Disraeli, the famous English statesman, who said, “If you are not
very clever, you should be conciliatory.”

By that reckoning, Mitch McConnell is very clever indeed.

Sen. McConnell (R-Ky.) has summed up the situation pretty well with his statements
since the midterm elections of 2012.

He made pretty clear that his strategic objective is to make President Obama a one-term
president, because only by achieving that goal can he achieve his other goals, which
include repealing the president’s healthcare law, enacting pro-growth economic policies
and cutting spending. In a speech to the Heritage Foundation, McConnell said: “Over
the past week, some have said it was indelicate of me to suggest that our top political
priority over the next two years should be to deny President Obama a second term
in office. But the fact is, if our primary legislative goals are to repeal and replace
the health spending bill, to end the bailouts, cut spending and shrink the size
and scope of government, the only way to do all these things is to put someone in
the White House who won’t veto any of these things. We can hope the president will
start listening to the electorate after Tuesday’s election. But we can’t plan on
it.”

Indeed, McConnell and congressional Republicans can’t plan on the president coming
to the center. Barack Obama is no Bill Clinton. Where Clinton was a centrist governor
before he was elected president, Obama was a darling of the far-left. And where
Clinton went through a complete makeover after the historic election of 1994, there
is no evidence that Obama will do that kind of soul-searching.

There are only really three places where some sort of compromise is necessary. First,
the government has to stay open. Second, the debt limit has to be raised. Third,
scheduled tax increases need to be postponed until after the economy gets back on
its feet.

On any other issue, there is no reason to compromise and no reason to talk compromise.

Gridlock is what many voters on the right want as result of the election. They wanted
the Obama agenda to be stopped. They wanted an end to the spending spree. They wanted
the rapid expansion of the size and scope of government to shut off, immediately.
They don’t want funding for the president’s healthcare bill, especially those parts
of the bill that would enforce new regulations on small-business paperwork and the
individual mandate.

It is in the best interests of Mitch McConnell and John Boehner to listen to their
constituents, which I am fairly certain they will do. Their constituents don’t want
compromises that expand government spending and increase the debt. Gridlock is their
friend in this scenario. There is no reason to budge from that position.

President Obama still runs the government. Harry Reid is still Senate majority leader.
Nancy Pelosi still runs the House Democratic Caucus. They still have most of the
power. The Republicans, in this election, have only gained the ability to say no,
and to make that “no” mean something. They should say no early and often.

No need to compromise. Not now.

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