Washington Republicans, Look To Wisconsin

Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker’s principled stand can teach Washington Republicans an important lesson in bravery.

Al Aitken, a good friend of mine who is a Marine veteran and a commercial airline pilot, explained to me a few years ago the difference between courage and bravery. 

Courage is taking action and not considering the consequences.  Bravery is when you take action knowing that you are going to face pain or peril, yet you take action anyway. 

Walker showed bravery in his fight to balance the state budget and modify collective bargaining for certain public employees.

Washington Republican politicians, by contrast, seem fearful of fighting for anything these days.

Republicans in Congress have “Government Shutdown Disorder.”  This illness causes Republicans to shudder and make bizarre decisions when they feel like they’ll be blamed for shutting down the federal government.  Democrats, of course, are preying on this anxiety.  They know how to use this disorder to force Republicans to undermine themselves.

Why didn’t House Republicans send over to the Senate a measure to fund the government for the rest of this fiscal year and dare Senate Democrats to not pass it?  Government Shutdown Disorder.

The House passed $61 billion in cuts this year, defunding elements of ObamaCare, EPA regulations and Planned Parenthood.  Then they engaged in a strategy insuring that the House-passed measure never saw the light of day.  House Republicans passed two- and three-week resolutions to fund the government.  They removed any pressure building on the Senate to pass its own spending measure.  Clearly, House Republicans fear being blamed for a government shutdown more than Democrats do.

House Republicans and the conservative movement need to declare a truce.  They need to sit down find a way to pass the necessary cuts. Any chance Gov. Walker can jet into Washington, D.C. for some leadership training?

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