[Mb-civic] Bills' Passage Shows the Arena Where GOP Can Flex Its Muscle - Washington Post

[William Swiggard]

Bills' Passage Shows the Arena Where GOP Can Flex Its Muscle

By Jim VandeHei and Charles Babington
Washington Post Staff Writers
Sunday, July 31, 2005; Page A04

Shackled for months by a familiar brand of Washington gridlock, 
President Bush and the Republican leaders in Congress last week suddenly 
found a key. A long-stalled energy bill, an international trade accord 
and a massive highway appropriations measure all moved to passage -- 
handing big victories to business interests and quieting talk that a 
second-term president was bereft of influence.

This surprising midsummer rush of legislating made clear that the 
reality of Washington's current balance of power is more complicated 
than surface appearances. On the most highly charged ideological issues 
-- the proposed restructuring of Social Security, chief among them -- a 
unified Democratic opposition has stymied Bush, creating an impression 
of GOP impotence. On less partisan measures backed by powerful economic 
interests, Republicans have benefited from enough Democratic support to 
advance their agenda in expensive and far-reaching ways.

This show of clout came even as the capital's top figures continue to 
suffer from diverse political problems. Bush's job-approval ratings are 
below 50 percent and near his personal low, and several of his top 
advisers are under investigation in the CIA leak case. House Majority 
Leader Tom DeLay of Texas is buffeted by controversies over his 
relationships with lobbyists; Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist of 
Tennessee has faced catcalls over what critics have called a bumbling style.

All three now have an answer to those who question their effectiveness. 
They beat back challenges from liberal Democrats and some of their own 
members to pass the most expensive highway and transit bill in history, 
an energy measure loaded with tax breaks for oil and gas companies, and 
a first-ever trade pact with Central America, known as CAFTA. They are 
also on the cusp of protecting gun manufacturers from lawsuits.

<>http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/07/30/AR2005073001072.html?nav=hcmodule 

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