Sine Die
The end of another session approaches.
As the House attempts to recover from its extended leadership struggle, it will presumably be a more affable – or at least less hostile – place to work for members and at least potentially a more bipartisan atmosphere for getting things accomplished.” Once the dust settled, those speculations were indeed borne out. The new comity was most visibly demonstrated in the House floor budget debate, before which the Republican and Democratic leadership got together and mutually decided to avoid pointless fights over symbolic amendments that weren’t going to survive in any case – pointless fights that were standard operating procedure under Craddick. Straus and the new regime are certainly to be credited for the change. Craddick has been reduced to a wandering backbencher, and the same folks who brokered the new speakership are now able to work together with more consensus and less acrimony.
The verdict seems to be: progress, but still a long way to go. More…