The year 2014 was an awful one for Washington, with too little leadership from the president and too much obstruction from Congress. I find liturgical litanies comforting, but 2014â??s litany of Washington woes was demoralizing. The year was a roll call of crises, anger and sadness: Ferguson, â??I canâ??t breathe,â? Veterans Administration scandals, botched executions, failed launch of HealthCare.gov and 45 empty House votes to repeal Obamacare. It brought ISIS beheadings, Boko Haram kidnappings, Ebola outbreaks and bloody conflicts in Gaza, Syria, Ukraine and Africa. The 2014 elections produced agenda-less negative campaigns, record political spending and low voter turnout.
This year was supposed to be the year of immigration reform, but instead it demonstrated the worst of Washington dysfunction. The Obama administration deported record numbers to appear tough, so the president could push for comprehensive reformâ??which never came. The comprehensive legislation passed by the Senate in 2013 was abandoned by key supporters. Speaker John Boehner said he supports reform but refused to let the House consider the Senate bill because it would pass, but not with sufficient Republican votes. Immigrant children fleeing violence became an excuse for inaction. Republicans began the year saying they needed to reach out to Hispanics and ended the year using anti-immigrant fears to mobilize their Anglo white base. Obama finally took needed administrative steps he previously said were illegal and impossible.
Read Full Article »