How did Colin Powell once warn President Bush about Iraq? Oh yes, “If you break it, you own it.”
That philosophy may apply to the outcome of Tuesday night’s General Election. Democrats completely broke any last bastion of Republican power in Washington when they took not only the White House, but also a number of congressional seats, giving the party political power it has not wielded since 1994.
Not only did the Democrats add more seats to what was already a majority in Congress, but is now just four seats from having filibuster-proof power over the GOP in the Senate.
The Republican Party is essentially hanging by a thread on Capitol Hill, while Democrats haven’t boogied like this since Fleetwood Mac’s “Don’t Stop” celebrated Bill Clinton’s 1992 presidential victory at a post-election party in Little Rock, Ark.
There is reason to be optimistic about the direction of this country. It was time for a change in Washington. Look at the economy. Look at unemployment. Look at Iraq. We could not continue down this same path, and it was evident that America needed new leadership, whether it’s the men and women writing the laws on Capitol Hill or the person with veto power on Pennsylvania Avenue.
But celebrants in Washington should put their party hats and victory parties back into their figurative closets and do something with this newfound power. It’s no secret that the approval rating of Congress hit an all-time low 14 percent in July. For the most part, these are the same incumbents who won more time in Washington Tuesday night. America isn’t satisfied with their performance, yet re-elected the majority of them.
America can’t afford for a poorly rated Congress to rest on the laurels of victory at the polls. It’s time to show their worth. People may not be as forgiving next time.
As for one-party dominance, history shows us that when one party has control, things don’t always run smoothly. Republican congressmen have sparred with a Republican president. Democratic congressmen have sparred with a Democratic president.
What’s important now is the Democrats in power must realize that the American people have spoken and clearly given them a strong opportunity to change direction. President-elect Barack Obama has every opportunity, along with the Democratic leadership in Congress, to make the changes they have wanted for some time.
But the immediate fate of this nation depends on the decisions they make. The ball’s in their hands. America can’t afford for them to drop it … and break it.
From this point on, a more-powerful-than-ever Democratic Party has no one to blame, or pat on the back, but itself.
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