Politico's Arena has a discussion among both Democrat and Republican legislators that sees a surprising optimism for Democrats. This comes in the wake of John Boehner putting Dems' chances at about one-in-three.
Democrat Congressman Tim Ryan of Ohio thinks the Ryan budget will be the GOP's millstone, claiming they want to "dismantle" Medicare. (If only, right?) The hat-loving Rep. Frederica Wilson dips into delusion, saying that Republicans "are intentionally starving efforts to jump start the economy" - as if the GOP holding one-half of one of three government branches gives them ultimate control.
Thankfully, Rep. Tim Griffin (R-Ark.) had some sensible things to say:
Right now, we have a situation where House Republicans have proposed substantive ideas, substantive reforms, and the alternative is a blank slate. The status quo is the alternative. Democrats have no plans to save Medicare, they have no plan to reform the tax code, and they have no budget in the Senate.The president has been in office for four years and he has not proposed one substantive reform to save Medicare. What I tell people is all you have to do is talk about status quo versus reform. I think nationally that sells everywhere, because you can’t debate something that doesn’t exist. The other side is completely bankrupt of ideas.
The status quo is completely unacceptable. Right now you’ve got one team on the field ready to play and the other team just sitting on the sidelines.
And Townhall's good friend Hugh Hewitt put things succinctly:
As should the horrific employment numbers yesterday --"the second consecutive month of anemic job growth," as the New York Times put it. House Democrats prattle on about retaking that Chamber, but Democrats at every level know the economy's continued dreary slog through what should have been a boom year endangers them all.
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