Can the 113th Congress get anything done?

Eric Cantor seems willing to compromise. Now it's up to Democrats to end the Age of Cliffs

Edward Morrissey

Inaugurations of American presidents are optimistic occasions, and for good reason. We often forget that peaceful transitions of power in history have been relatively rare, and still are, even in an age of republics. Most people living today won't see an orderly, lawful transition — or continuation — of a representative government under the rule of law. Regardless of your political persuasion, the quadrennial American tradition dating back to 1792 should fill all of us with optimism and appreciation for the blessings of a functional and stable representative republic.

Still, it's possible to overshoot the mark at such events. CBS interviewed House Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-Va.) during the inauguration's preliminary festivities, and asked him about the prospects for the next two years. Norah O'Donnell noted that House Republicans seemed to have taken a more conciliatory attitude after their caucus retreat last week, with a promise to raise the debt ceiling for a short period of time, and asked Cantor whether that indicated that the GOP would cooperate with President Obama on his second-term agenda.

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Edward Morrissey

Edward Morrissey has been writing about politics since 2003 in his blog, Captain's Quarters, and now writes for HotAir.com. His columns have appeared in the Washington Post, the New York Post, The New York Sun, the Washington Times, and other newspapers. Morrissey has a daily Internet talk show on politics and culture at Hot Air. Since 2004, Morrissey has had a weekend talk radio show in the Minneapolis/St. Paul area and often fills in as a guest on Salem Radio Network's nationally-syndicated shows. He lives in the Twin Cities area of Minnesota with his wife, son and daughter-in-law, and his two granddaughters. Morrissey's new book, GOING RED, will be published by Crown Forum on April 5, 2016.