GOP now in catbird’s seat

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette: The 115th Congress began its work Tuesday, less than three weeks before the inauguration of Donald Trump. Republicans hold a 52-seat majority in the Senate. Republicans hold a larger majority in the House of Representatives, with 241 seats, to 194 Democrats.

Thus, with the White House in GOP hands, the Republicans will stand in a strong position to be able to make changes and to put forward a coherent agenda for the future.

The Democrats are still clearly in a pickle. They are seeking to decide whether to take the same approach to Trump as president as the Republicans took to Obama, seeking to sabotage the new president’s initiatives, or to respond to some of the American public’s clear desire to see destructive partisan gridlock diminish in Washington, in the public interest.

The Washington balance of political forces has changed, with Republicans now firmly in the catbird’s seat. It will be interesting to see the working relationships that will emerge.