No matter what happens with the bipartisan infrastructure bill, it’s pretty clear that this is the last chance for any significant and meaningful bipartisan legislation for the foreseeable future. And, that’s not just because control of the Senate is on the line in 2022. Two of the three Republicans most heavily involved in the bipartisan deal-making on infrastructure won’t be in Congress in 2023, while the third could lose a primary. …
The type of politician who prioritizes comity over confrontation has all but disappeared from Congress. In this era of zero-sum politics, it is all but impossible to win a primary election with a message that prioritizes legislating over fighting. This partisan “purity test” is a bigger factor in GOP primaries than those on the Democratic side. Since the rise of the Tea Party in 2009, a number of GOP incumbents and ‘establishment’ figures who were seen as too accommodating — including Sens. Bob Bennett (UT) and Dick Lugar (IN) and Rep. Mike Castle (DE) — were ousted by firebrands who pledged to take a ‘burn it all down’ approach to Washington. CONTINUED
Amy Walter, Cook Political Report