At the same time, [Ryan] allowed that “the problem in the minority [is that] you sometimes revert into a posture where ‘I don’t have to do anything controversial, I just can be against that and win by default.’ I’m not interesting in winning by default. And I’m worried that if we get the majority back by default, we’ll screw up again.”
Read the whole thing. Now, if only there were some way to get Ryan to usurp John Boehner or Eric Cantor…
6 comments
Both very good interviews. It’s great that Klein and Douthat have the Post and NYT, respectively, as part of their job titles now – it gives them more access and they are using the it in a way that’s actually helpful, unlike some of their blogging (no access) and mainstream (lazy/complacent) peers.
Koz
February 5th, 2010 at 12:52 pm
There’s a certain strain of the Left (Digby, Billmon, Amanda Marcotte etc.) who have elevated pissyness to an art form. To be fair, Ezra Klein is not that, but I think the country would be better off if Ezra Klein were working for Motorola.
the ezra K interview was interesting. allthough in discussing Ryan and his place among the R’s i can’t help but think of the phrase “soft bigotry of low expectations.”
Another Paul Ryan proposal, this time with John McCain and Russ Feingold: The New & Improved Line Item Veto
It’s from last year and clearly isn’t going anywhere but still…nice thought. I wonder, Mark if that would accomplish some of the reforms you sought when proposing nationalizing the Speaker’s race.
Jaybird
February 4th, 2010 at 4:33 pm
Crazy person time:
I oppose the line item veto. Veto the bill in its entirety or sign it.
(Which is not to say that there might be some very interesting unintended consequences… let’s say that you know that your earmark will be line-item-vetoed… are you going to vote for the bill in the first place? Let’s say that the people in charge of handing out line-items know that you’re not going to vote for the bill in the first place. Are they going to give you your line item?)