The political world will observe a truce on Thursday as President Obama, members of Congress and their staffs celebrate Christmas with family and friends.
While the holiday break provides time to relax and take stock of the year that was, January is rapidly approaching, bringing with it the first Republican Congress in eight years.
{mosads}With the race to replace Obama set to erupt at a moment’s notice, and both parties spoiling for a fight, the “peace on Earth” of December is likely to give way to political warfare before long.
Here are some gifts that politicians could use to help them prepare for what’s to come.
President Obama: Executive pen
Obama has only vetoed two bills during his tenure, but he’s likely to make up for lost time in 2015.
Republicans have made clear they intend to send a raft of bills to Obama’s desk, including legislation approving the Keystone XL pipeline, to test his willingness to veto legislation that has bipartisan support.
While the president has said he hopes to work with the GOP, he has suggested a veto pen would be close at hand.
“Congress will pass some bills I cannot sign,” Obama predicted at his post-election press conference. “I’m pretty sure I’ll take some actions that some in Congress will not like. That’s natural. That’s how our democracy works.”
Speaker John Boehner: A case of merlot
The Ohio Republican has been through the fire during his four-year stint as Speaker, and is facing a new challenge as Republicans assume control of Congress.
Conservatives and allies of the GOP have long wish lists and high expectations, and are pushing Republicans to use their hard-won majority to move forward on proposals to reform the tax code, slash the budget and dismantle ObamaCare.
But with Democrats still able to filibuster legislation in the Senate, and Obama able to kill legislation with one stroke of a pen, Boehner will once again have to convince his conference to pick their battles.
That’s bound to be a stressful task for Boehner, a wine lover who might need to occasionally unwind with a bottle of red.
GOP Leader Mitch McConnell: Robert Byrd’s History of the Senate
The incoming Senate leader from Kentucky is facing pressure to roll back ObamaCare through a complicated budget procedure known as “reconciliation.”
That process contains a number of daunting hurdles, with no guarantee of success. One particular statue on the books — informally known as the “Byrd Rule,” for the late Sen. Robert Byrd (D-W.Va.) — poses perhaps the biggest obstacle to axing ObamaCare, as it bars the use of reconciliation to make policy changes that add to the deficit.
Given his new role as GOP leader, McConnell might want to give himself a refresher in the Senate’s byzantine rules — perhaps by leafing through Byrd’s exhaustive, four-volume history of the upper chamber.
Sen. Harry Reid: Flak jacket
The Nevada Democrat is on the frontlines as Democrats debate whether to use their powers in the minority to hold up legislation or prevent bills from reaching President Obama’s desk.
Despite their new, 54-46 advantage, Republicans will need Democratic votes to reach the 60-vote majority needed to overcome the filibusters that liberal senators might wage against some legislation.
While Reid has said he has “no desire” to obstruct the GOP agenda, he will have to decide when to let his troops break ranks to back Republican bills — and when it’s time to unify them in opposition.
With Democrats aiming to win back the Senate in 2016, Reid’s skills as a field general will be put to the test.
Sen. Elizabeth Warren: Magic 8 Ball
Groups on the left are practically begging Warren to run for the White House in 2016, arguing she is the populist counterweight that Democrats need to stop a coronation of Hillary Clinton.
While Warren’s influence is on the rise, she has shot down a presidential run repeatedly — 49 times, by one count. Still, the chatter about her possible candidacy persists.
Should the Massachusetts Democrat open the door to a run, deciding whether to get in would be a difficult decision, given the likelihood of a bloody primary that could tear the Democratic Party from the seams.
To run or not to run? Magic 8 ball says . . .
Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi: Megaphone/bullhorn
The California Democrat made a rare break with Obama over the government funding deal in December, announcing from the floor that she was “enormously disappointed” in the White House’s support for it.
While House Democrats have virtually no power to shape the legislative agenda in the minority, their votes are often critical when Boehner finds he can’t corral enough conservatives to pass legislation.
While the GOP will soon have the largest House majority in decades, Boehner can lose only 29 Republican votes before he’ll need GOP support to get legislation through.
That means the opinions of House Democrats will matter, giving Pelosi and her lieutenants added incentive to make noise in hopes of shaping the decisions that GOP leaders make.
Hillary Clinton: A short Caribbean vacation
Clinton is the odds-on favorite to win the Democratic nomination and is widely expected to jump in the race this spring.
If and when she does announce a second White House bid, she’ll immediately become the story — and she won’t get much of a break between her official entry and Election Day 2016.
Clinton is scheduled to give a paid speech in Atlantic City on March 19, suggesting an announcement won’t come until at least late that month.
Before then, it’s possible she’ll be called to Congress to testify before the House Select Committee on Benghazi. Chairman Trey Gowdy (R-S.C.) has said he’s interested in hearing from Clinton, who already offered memorable testimony at the beginning of 2013, just as she was leaving Foggy Bottom.
It’s possible, of course, that Clinton, a new grandmother, will decide against running for office.
But most political observers think she’s getting in the race, leaving little time for vacations. So former President Clinton: If you’re reading this, we hear St. John’s is beautiful in February.