Look at Obama’s stimulus bill—as soon as he handed it over to the House, Democrats loaded it with so many appropriations they made it impossible to pass. In his article “Why the Democrats Can’t Govern” in this week’s New Republic, Jonathan Chait writes that “the stimulus served as a mere precursor to the major battle over Obama’s budget.” (He goes on to cite Sen. Kent Conrad’s endorsement of farm payments and Democrats’ opposition to Obama’s plan to limit tax deductions for the rich.) Now, I may not agree with Obama either, but if such a left-leaning magazine so blatantly recognizes the writing on the wall when it comes to extreme members of the Democratic Party hijacking message and power, then it is obviously a major concern.

This is less about Harry Reid and Nancy Pelosi than about party infighting. If Republicans are going to gain power again, and more importantly, remain in power, we must recognize the value of centrism—instead of turning to extreme right-wing members of the party like Rush Limbaugh (which I have made clear I think is a dangerous thing for the party to do). That the Democrats find themselves with the same problem while they’re in power only highlights my point.