Let me preface this by saying this is not a shot at the GOP specifically. The point Im trying to make here is more encompassing: that politicians in Congress just don't know how to properly bluff or pick their battles wisely anymore. This is just the most recent example that took place that clearly demonstrates the case that I think will help spark a conversation about this.
As for the example, one of the GOP's main objections to the hearings held over an Impeachment Inquiry against Donald Trump being held in the House of Representatives is that the meetings where details about the Ukraine scandal are being held in secret. A lot of the meetings are 'Closed door' meetings where info is kept confidential and is not released to the public. The GOP have been up in arms over the hearings being held in secret, to the point that some House Republicans have literally stormed into meetings to demand that info be made open to the public. (They have also demanded that the GOP be able to ask questions, completely ignoring the fact that House Republicans sit on the committees of many of these meetings and can already ask questions on behalf of their party)
To summarize, the GOP are mad at how Impeachment hearings are being held in secret, and want to open them up to the public. If a vote was held to make the proceedings public, the GOP would then presumably be willing to do so in order to have public meetings that would allegedly vindicate the president.
They all voted against making the meetings open: https://news.yahoo.com/house-approves-trump-impeachment-resolution-paving-way-for-the-start-of-open-hearings-153013481.html
To complain about some aspect of the hearings and stage a number of publicity stunts to try to raise awareness about the secrecy of the meetings, only to unanimously vote against revealing the testimony in the meanings to the public, is just ass-backwards stupidity that highlights what is happening to Congress.... In the past, both parties were at least smart enough to know when to roll over and concede ground on a dispute or disagreement, and when to dig deep and fight tooth and nail for your position. Now though there is only fighting tooth and nail on every issue which is adding to the disfunction and animosity between parties in DC and through the nation.
Kevin Spacey in House of Cards once said 'Dont start a war you're not prepared to lose" or something along the lines of that, Congress has clearly forgotten that advice. Everything, no mater how trivial, has now become a requirement for elected officials to dig in and fight like hell over, even issues that could easily backfire right into their own faces.
One of the more legendary examples I can recall was how Mitch McConnell had to filibuster and block his own bill that he proposed where Obama would be able to define the financial limits the government could borrow for spending (a power that traditionally was handled by Congress). The Democrats called the bluff, McConnell had to organize votes against his own resolution, and was soundly defeated by the whole fiasco which could have been entirely avoided if people in Congress had any tactical foresight.
This universal stupidity in Congress is contributing to the death of bipartisanship and total gridlock in legislation for the last almost 10 years. Its better off for everyone if Congressmen know when to be tactical and not fight the fights that will surely be lost, compared to going all-in at every opportunity when there is almost nothing to be gained or even lost.
