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Waffling GOP faces loss of majority

Congressional Republicans virtually abandoned serious policy work early this year, a fact obscured by the necessary obsession with presidential wrongdoing.

Bill Clinton retains the institutional power of the presidency, and he is using it. The big surprise is how easily he has rolled Republicans. Taxpayers are going to pay a high price for allowing a vacuum to develop on matters of policy.

The cash register rang loudly as Clinton buffaloed Congress into pumping an additional $1.1 billion into education. Congressional leaders merely wimpered that they agreed with Clinton on the alleged need to spend more money but disagreed on matters of detail in how to spend it. Now there's an electoral mandate in the making for you.

Tax cuts similarly went down the toilet. All that remained of a piddly $80 billion proposed tax cut initially passed by the House earlier this fall &emdash; less than 1 percent of expected revenues during the next five years &emdash; was a virtually must-pass package of extensions of certain tax deductions that primarily affect small businesses.

Once again, we see the consequences of Republican failure to wage a long and forceful policy debate. Congress never put the weakened president in the position of having to defend a steady increase in federal tax collection in an era of surpluses. Republicans have blown too many opportunities to count for truly innovative policy reforms, on issues ranging from taxation to health care.

GOP leaders obviously chose at some point to avoid any confrontation with Clinton over policy, lest Clinton manipulate controversy to distract from his scandal problems. The approach is not without merit right now, but there was no good reason for it earlier this year.

Had Republicans properly laid groundwork, right now they could be rolling Clinton on policy instead of getting rolled.

Voters may well wonder whether the GOP deserves to hold the majority in the House (the Senate is a virtual lock this year) if they do not possess enough courage of their convictions to enage in real policy debates about the future of the country. This fall's GOP campaigns are mostly milquetoast affairs, with GOP consultants telling their clients to avoid substance, embrace saccharine themes and to lunge for their opponents' capillaries.

The Democrats have been plagued by no such problems. Yes, they are scrambling to figure out just how far to distance themselves from Clinton. Incumbent Maryland Gov. Parris Glendening, for example, first disinvited Clinton from a fund-raiser a few weeks ago, but lately has been courting Clinton.

Despite scandal-related troubles Democrats have not lost their focus on policy. They are in the game.

Republicans had better get in the game or else they'll risk being permanently relegated to the sidelines.