Difficulty in sight for the American Republicans. The U.S. Congress reopens, and the old Grand Old Party is grappling with the many promises and hopes scattered to the midterm elections last November. Now the Republicans control the House and will have a stronger presence in the Senate. But they will honor commitments made: the federal deficit reduction, reduction of the U.S.government, opposition to abortion and gay rights. These are the themes that have mobilized a large and complex array of movement conservatives - liberals, Tea Party, nostalgic for the Cold War, religious fundamentalists - who have contributed to the Republicans. That have to face some grain.
First of all deficit reduction. The commitments made by John Boehner, the future speaker of the House, and several party colleagues is to cut at least $ 100 billion of federal spending. For now we only know which areas will be exempt from the cuts, defense, national security, veterans (well, the old 'heart' of the military tradition of conservative).
Everything else, especially transport and education, could fall under the ax of those who dream of returning to a state 'fiscally responsible'. A prospect that the troops really like the Tea Party, unleashed in demanding tax cuts and social spending, but that does not meet the general approval.
Senate Republicans are skeptical about such real possibility to cut 20% of the deficit. And the local party leaders fear that the arrival of fewer federal funds puts them in trouble in their states. The various interests including Boehner and his companions will mediate in the crisis might put the party a few months after the electoral revival.
And the reduction of expenditure may well not be enough promise to the most radically liberal, as Brian Riedl, the association conservative Heritage Foundation, presented a project for a savings of 343 billion, thanks to a streamlining of Medicare and Social Security, perspective firmly rejected by the Republican leadership.
The difficulty for the Republicans do not stop there. We are now to meet the needs of large, conservative institutions of America as the organization pro-life National Right to Life Committee, which they expect action against abortion rights, the dismantling of gay conquests, aid to schools and sectarian institutions.
Not everyone in the Republican leadership, however, seem willing to embark on a series of 'wars of religion' uncertain outcome. Mitch Daniels, Indiana governor and likely 2012 Republican candidate for president, asked a few weeks ago a truce on the issue of civil rights: "We need to focus on issues shared by the majority of Americans," he said, giving voice to who thinks the party to relocate the center, avoiding drift to the right that would cost large sections of the electorate.
His appeal has already had its first effects. From the political vocabulary of many Republican senators and representatives has almost disappeared every reference to the issue of abortion. And GOProud, a group of gay conservatives, was invited to the Conservative Political Action Conference, the annual gathering of the elite Republican, in February.
But this strategy more inclusive and centrist has already provoked the ire of supporters of conservative Christian values, which announced a boycott of the meeting. An outcry controversy that would indicate how difficult it will be for the Republicans, the reconciliation of political realism and election promises.
Roberto Festa
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