Ramesh Ponnuru comments on the upcoming midterm elections:
Do House Republicans actually want to take the majority? I have asked that of nearly every House Republican I have met since January 2007. Life in the minority is just as satisfying if you’re in it for the perks; more satisfying, actually, since you don’t have to make appropriations bills go out on time, run committee hearings, etc. Only once, a few weeks ago, have I heard anyone say that more than half of the conference wants the majority. That congressman said that his colleagues do want to be in the majority but are not yet ready to do what it would take. But he thinks they’re getting there.
Wow. I mean, technically, sure, I guess that being in the minority is less stressful. But everything I’ve ever heard on this subject suggests that, overall, being in the minority just absolutely sucks. You get nothing. You have no ability to do anything. You’re shut out of decisionmaking completely. Your staff is minuscule. Etc. etc. The only way in which it’s better than being in the majority is if you just like having the doorman call you “congressman” and literally don’t care about the process of lawmaking at all.
But apparently virtually no one in the GOP House caucus thinks that even a majority of their fellows wants to take control in November. I could understand a few slackers not wanting the aggravation, but a majority? Holy cow.
