Off the Record

Divided They Stand. One thing the budget summit agreement did was expose the mounting dissatisfaction in both the House and the Senate with the Republican leadership. In the most partisan battle this year, a number of conservative senators forced a meeting of the Senate Republican Conference in order to combat a Democratic attempt to block votes on amendments offered by Republicans. Word is that this is a sample of things to come, with Senate Minority Leader Bob Dole retaining his title as leader but a host of conservative vice-regents exercising actual power.

Over in the House, there are similar complaints about Bob Michel, who must have thought his task as House Minority Leader was to keep Republicans in the minority. At a conference meeting shortly after the summit package was announced, the Honorable Mr. Michel pounded his fists on the table when Dan Burton (R., Ind.) questioned the deal. Although personally well-liked, Mr. Michel is not all that trusted, which is why the House Republican Conference in July inserted a clause in its no-new-taxes resolution specifically “instruct[ing] its leaders to represent this to the President and the public.”

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Divided They Stand. One thing the budget summit agreement did was expose the mounting dissatisfaction in both the House and the Senate with the Republican leadership. In the most partisan battle this year, a number of conservative senators forced a meeting of the Senate Republican Conference in order to combat a Democratic attempt to block votes on amendments offered by Republicans. Word is that this is a sample of things to come, with Senate Minority Leader Bob Dole retaining his title as leader but a host of conservative vice-regents exercising actual power.

Over in the House, there are similar complaints about Bob Michel, who must have thought his task as House Minority Leader was to keep Republicans in the minority. At a conference meeting shortly after the summit package was announced, the Honorable Mr. Michel pounded his fists on the table when Dan Burton (R., Ind.) questioned the deal. Although personally well-liked, Mr. Michel is not all that trusted, which is why the House Republican Conference in July inserted a clause in its no-new-taxes resolution specifically “instruct[ing] its leaders to represent this to the President and the public.”