New Republican House Bends Own Rules

Just how hard will it be for the Tea Party Congress to live up to its sharp campaign rhetoric? Pretty hard, if its new rules ordeal is any sign: just hours after passing a sweeping set of new rules for incoming House of Representatives, Republicans are making exceptions for their top agenda items. They called for bills to go through a regular committee process, but their bill to repeal Obamacare will be allowed to skip committee. They called for a more open amendment process, but won't let the repeal bill be touched. They called for a strict committee attendance list to be posted online, then decided to scratch that one. They promised constitutional citations for every bill, but have yet to add that sort of language to any actual legislation. Republicans say there are subtle reasons for all their exceptions, but their difficulty committing to their own rules shows just how hard it is to be a purist in Washington.