MB Civic

New Majority Is Mindful Of Rivals’ Mistakes, Successes

By Jonathan Weisman | Sunday, November 12, 2006 | The Washington Post

This front page story draws all the right comparisons with the Republican takeover of Congress in 1995 under Newt Gingrich and the party’s wildly successful Contract With America (in reality, more slogan than contract). Hopefully the way the new Democrat majorities behave in the coming year (their honeymoon period) will be guided by these lessons – both affirmative (populist legislation, use of hearings to stir public attention) and negative (partisan warfare, lobbyist money, shutting out the other party in committee, agenda from party extremists at the expense of moderates). Well worth reading, both in terms of history and for the insights it reveals among the new congressional leaders…BS

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/11/11/AR2006111100918.html