Revolution, again

So far at least this doesn't have the revolutionary feel of Newt's seizing power in '94 or Pelosi taking the gavel in 2006. But it still makes for an exciting time on the Hill when we have a change of power. It's going to be interesting to see how it plays out — how the demands, energy and probable hubris brought by new Tea Party members are balanced with the reality that Republicans control only one house of Congress, and not the executive. Will undeliverable promises to repeal healthcare and other legislation result in two years of trench warfare and gridlock until the 2012 election? Or will the nation's leaders get to work and forge compromises on at least some of the the country's critical issues?

According to my former colleague Major Garrett, writing in the National Journal just before the election, the Republican leadership will build its strategies with a belief that "the era of long-lasting House majorities is over, undone by the fluidity of party loyalties" and other factors. In any case, it's going to be an interesting time working on the Hill and having a front-row seat to see how it all plays out.