Recreating the Wheel

Several “leading conservatives” (although where they’re “leading” nobody knows) have started a new search for meaning with a campaign called the National Council for a New America.

Maybe someone forgot to tell them, but we already have one of those. It’s called the Obama administration. Composed of the best minds and problem-solvers in the country, this “council” is working at breakneck speed to solve many of the enormous problems facing this country and the world.

Meanwhile, led by Eric Cantor, a few remnants of the General Opposition Party (GOP) are preoccupied with regaining their personal popularity and whipping up emotional angst and general dissatisfaction among what’s left of their "base.”

With no agenda other than opposing anything proposed by the duly elected government (and refilling their own campaign coffers), these folks are just generally against. Their peevish attitude is familiar to anyone who’s worked with kids—the pouting and rock-kicking that goes on at the playground among those not chosen to be first at bat.

The thing is, they’ve been invited to play. The work going on in Washington right now requires all hands on deck. But Republicans who try to accept President Obama’s often repeated invitation for bipartisan cooperation—in other words, those who aren’t anti-everything—are not only marginalized but threatened with political defeat by members of their own party. (Hence, the recent defection of Arlen Spector.)

You’d think their constituents would get on board and tell these renegade Republicans that campaigning should be a seasonal event and their real work should be problem solving, not problem making. Good ideas are always welcome; but would someone please explain to Eric Cantor that “no” is not an idea?