I grew up in the city of Chicago. I have watched polls in Philadelphia. I have been threatened with physical violence by union goons for offering people a piece of GOP literature. Urban Republicans like me often have an acute sense of Democratic corruption, especially as it applies to the voting process.

When Steny Hoyer says, according to CQ, that, “We control this House, not the parliamentarians!” it reminds me of a friend’s dad who had to change his registration to Independent from Republican before the sidewalk in front of his (sole proprietor) pharmacy could get fixed.

So it is becoming clear that the Democrats broke the rules in running the House. And they broke the rules to prevent a measure to pass that would make sure that government money didn’t go to illegal immigrants in some small way. Doesn’t that sum up exactly the caricature of Democrats? This is something that you can run against. And, I agree with Brian Faughn that CQ’s writing that the Dems stole the vote is going to make this very, very hard on the Dems.

In October of 2005, Matt Continetti wrote in the NYT in an article that was very critical of the Republican majority (and rightly so):

But then you take solace in the idea that the Republican Party has once again bested the Democrats, who after all took 40 years to sprout the warts of power.

It took the Dems 6 months. That’s incredible. Who’s running the House like a plantation now?


Soren Dayton

Soren Dayton is an advocacy professional in Washington, DC who has worked in policy, politics, and in human rights, including in India. Soren grew up in Chicago.