Is Congress Ready for Another Revolution? Not So Fast

In yesterday's Roll Call (subscription required), guest columnist Randy Evans debunks the growing thought among some that Congress is ready for another revolution, this time with the Democrats taking control. Evans expounds on a couple of points I made here a couple of weeks ago.

True, some of the ethics problems that GOP Congressional leaders are experiencing are similar to those experienced by Democratic leaders in the late 1980's and early 1990's. True, there is a growing sense among Americans that, as a nation, we are heading in the wrong direction. And true, there is a growing image of arrogance perceived in the current Congress. All these assertions are, to some degree, true. But these factors do not provide even the seeds of a revolution.

As I pointed out, and Evans confirms, Democrats have no rallying platform.

The Gingrich strategy was built around a different set of ideas embodied in the “Contract with America,” which offered a positive alternative to both the incumbent Democratic Party and to the drifting Republican Party. It was a conscious effort to offer an agenda that was conservative and also appealed to the values of the vast majority of Americans — what Gingrich now refers to as America’s Natural Majority.

Currently House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi and Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid have not postulated any theory of a platform or issue set that will unite Democrats all over the country. The current Democratic platform, like the Kerry platform, seems more interested in being Anti-Bush rather than pro-Democrat. Indeed, unlike the Contract with America, Democrats cannot agree on any set of issues due to regional differences. Without such a unifying theme, it is difficult to rally support.

Evans makes a crucial observation that I had missed. The Gingrich revolution was a revolution not only against Democrats who had controlled the House for 40 years, but also against senior Republicans, led by then Minority Leader Bob Michel.

The Gingrich plan in 1994 did not involve just overthrowing the Democrats; his plan also involved changing the leadership and direction of his own party. Although he held the position of Minority Whip in the House, neither Gingrich nor his band of reformers was ever considered part of the Republican establishment. Indeed, had Gingrich simply rallied his troops around Minority Leader Bob Michel (R-Ill.) as the representative of the same ideas that had been failing for 40 years, it is unlikely that Republicans would have gained the majority.

The 1994 Revolution was one in nearly every sense of the word. Don't expect to see a revolution in 2006.