The Center Did Not Hold

Steve Schneck: "On the GOP side, what lesson will be learned when compassionate conservatives like Cao go down while libertarian and "gospel of wealth" Tea Partiers promising to axe government do-gooders are in the ascendant? It's pretty hard to see now how the bishops' hopes for immigration reform--given the new realities of the GOP--have any chance. Let's also not forget that libertarians are theoretically lukewarm (at best) on issues like abortion. Most importantly, though, the loss of pro-life moderates on the Democratic side makes it awfully hard to see how pro-life forces will be able to cobble together a coalition in Congress for any measurable progress on life issues."