The wheels of government are turning in Washington, but if the Republican Party continues to ignore its elected opponents across the aisle, it may be headed for a flat tire.
The spot as chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee was far from guaranteed for Senator Arlen Specter (R-Penn.) after he implied in post-election comments that Supreme Court nominees wanting to overturn Roe v. Wade may face a Democratic Party filibuster.
Although in recent days it has looked more and more like Specter will indeed get his chairmanship, the events that put his ascendancy in doubt are very troubling. After he won the election two weeks ago, President Bush and other Republican lawmakers pledged to work with people on both sides of the aisle for the good of the nation. The intense scrutiny afforded to Specter in the wake of his comments, however, suggests that Republicans may not be prepared to practice what they preach.
It is no secret that the Republicans would not have been nearly as successful as they were in this year's election if not for the support of religious and moral conservatives. A full four-fifths of those who cited moral values as the most important factor in their vote (22 percent of the electorate) voted for Bush. The catch to this is that Bush's values-driven supporters are now expecting the White House and the solidly Republican Congress to return the favor by taking a hard conservative line on social issues such as abortion and gay marriage.
What the GOP needs to remember, however, is that it would also have not been elected without the support of moderate Republicans, who tend to vote red based more on fiscal issues. Some of the most publicly touted Republicans (read: primetime convention speakers) are members of the party's moderate wing, including Rudy Giuliani, John McCain and Arnold Schwarzenegger. It is certainly difficult to conceive of the election turning out similarly if the Governator and his moderate peers had not stepped up to bat for Bush and the gang in August and afterwards.
If the GOP is interested in remaining in power it must remember to moderate its positions, especially on social issues. Taking the line prescribed to Senate Majority Leader Frist by the religious right is a good way to not only lose the support of party moderates like Senator Lincoln Chafee (R.I.) and Senator Olympia Snowe (Maine), but will also alienate moderates who cannot always be counted on to toe the GOP line.
Bush and his allies praised the results of the election and preached unity and service to all Americans in the wake of a bitterly divisive campaign. Early signs, however, do not look good for either compromise or for social moderates.
Specter simply stated that, based on his over 20 years of Senate experience, the Republican administration would have to deal with the other, Democratic, side of the Senate. The alarm with which the Republican Party viewed this potential dialogue should rightfully scare proponents of bi-partisan cooperation.
Not only could an uncompromising, rightward GOP swing stall Washington, but it may well cost the Republicans dearly in 2006 and 2008.<$>
