Rep. Tom Cole (R-Okla.), the man charged with helping the GOP regain control of the House in next year’s elections, told me that in the wake of the earmark fight, Republicans “got their groove back.” Life in the minority has been a wake-up call for many Republican members, he said, and they don’t like it. As a result, they are banding together to change the situation.

It won’t come easy, but conservative Republicans are getting some outside help. The ultra-liberal policies being proposed by Democratic leaders, coupled with their inability to get much done, threaten to undo the party that swept into Washington with so much hope and exuberance less than six months ago. With congressional approval ratings at historic lows -- Gallup finds only 14% of Americans have a “great deal” of confidence in Congress -- now is the time for conservatives to reclaim the issue of fiscal restraint that cost them control.

Following last November’s electoral losses, the conservative Club for Growth bluntly stated that the “Republican Party has completely lost its brand as the party of limited government and low spending.” The group cited a post-election poll that revealed nearly 40% of Americans thought Republicans were “the party of big government” compared to 28% who had that opinion of Democrats.

Despite the GOP’s recent successes, it’s premature for Republicans to take any victory laps. Yes, they were able to embarrass Democrats on procedural grounds in the earmark fight. And, yes, the veto letter gives them a credible weapon to wield in battles over spending bills. But the hard work is just beginning.

For example, a $23 billion slush fund created to finance those earmarks still exists. “House Republicans struck a blow for openness and transparency,” said my Heritage Foundation colleague Brian Riedl. “The next test will be whether Congress takes advantage of this openness to terminate the thousands of pork projects that are expected to appear in spending bills.”

It’s a test that Republicans failed for much of this decade. But with a quest to win at the polls and a frustration with being stuck in the minority, it’s the GOP’s best bet to get its winning brand back.