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0 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? e-edition | subscribe | newsletter | deals Home News Latest Stories Emergency services Woman in critical condition after being struck by car in Medford Ashland honey festival draws swarm of visitors Wrong-way I-5 driver identified Full jail, miscommunication, sends suspect to Douglas County Crime, Courts and Emergency Services Emergency services Woman in critical condition after being struck by car in Medford Emergency services Wrap Up: Phillips homicide Brookings man gets federal prison time for gun crime Politics and Elections Latest count shows Measure 92 supporters narrowing deficit Granlund cartoon: GOP wrecking balls Ballot measures played little role in mobilizing voters in state Senate race 'Euphoria' over pot initiative Oregon voters narrowly reject GMO labeling measure Education Good news for SOU: Enrollment's up Mom gives school lobby a makeover Crater students present play about Thoreau's night in jail Half of Oregon's community college enrollees need remedial classes Marketta Gregory: Stretch yourself for God Environment Birders sought for bird counts Grow 'em before you plant 'em Since You Asked: Biomass One makes steam-generated power Organic squash creates a bountiful harvest for ACCESS Prospect-area cow death likely not a wolf kill State News Kitzhaber embattled as he seeks fourth term Nation - World Obituaries John (Jack) Dillon Death Notices Marilee Wininger Ardis Marie (Ardie) Barnes Nancy Elaine Weather Photo Galleries Since You Asked Videos Web Cams Mail Tribune 100 Sports Latest Stories St. Mary’s, Cascade Christian land first-team honors Medford, Ashland take home honors Local teams earn academic recognition Crusaders dominate league honors Ashland, Crater claim MWL all-league honors Varsity 541 College Sports Eastern spoils SOU’s conference title hopes Thompson raises SOU scoring bar Young leads Oregon past Coppin State, 107-65 No. 1 Kentucky has an easy time in opener Tinkle era begins with triumph Pro Sports James erupts for 41 points in Cavaliers' win Michael Putnam leads PGA Tour's OHL Classic Wilson off target lately in Seattle's pass game Rose hurts hamstring in Bulls’ win Dolphins end skid against Bills, 22-9 Community Sports Results / Standings Business Latest Stories Latest count shows Measure 92 supporters narrowing deficit Blog: Brrrr! It's Cold Outside! Ride & Drive: 2015 Ford Expedition Family time turns into shopping time Pacific Power girds for winter woes Real Estate News Financial webinars offered for veterans and their families Home prices rise across Jackson County New I-5 interchange puts south Medford on fast lane to fast food People In Business People in Business, Nov. 8 People in Business Transportation Medford airport passenger counts sky high in October Erickson reports third quarter profit Lithia reports $34.5 million third-quarter profit Agriculture Latest count shows Measure 92 supporters narrowing deficit Revenue rises for Harry & David's parent company Where do all those leaves go? Opinion Latest Other Views: A chastened Kitzhaber must tend to business Amy Gehrt: All presidents deserve respect Our View: Cheers and Jeers Letters to the Editor, Nov. 14 Michael Gerson: Our gathering storm Editorials Other Views: A chastened Kitzhaber must tend to business Our View: Cheers and Jeers Our view: Saigo brings an energy to SOU campus Our View: Zoning, building codes should respect fire Our View: Dems should take it slow in Salem Letters to the Editor Letters to the Editor, Nov. 14 Letters to the editor Letters to the Editor, Nov. 12 Letters to the Editor, Nov. 11 Letters to the Editor, Nov. 10 Guest Opinions Reflections on the election in Oregon and beyond Measure 89 provides equality for women Eagle Point needs public transportation Guest Opinion: Common Core testing sets math students up for failure Guest Opinion: Campaigning and voting 'the Oregon way' Lifestyle Latest stories Success of the starling She's a Gem Community blog: Happy Holidays? Surviving and Even Thriving in the Dark Times A little bit country, a little bit rock 'n' roll 'Red Nose' a raucous, edgy romp Food Community blog: Pumpkin, salted caramel pair tradition, trendiness Joanna McQuillan Weeks: Jessica Fisher creates frugal, fabulous recipes Rogue-style Thanksgiving An advanced lesson in homemade mustards Community blog: Egg-rich flan is a stunner for holiday spreads Home and Garden Beyond curb appeal: When it pays to stand out Use the hidden meaning of color to enhance your home 17 things you never knew about turkeys Dear Monty: 10 tips toward a quality offer on a home How to live and work in a tiny home Health Community blog: Happy Holidays? Surviving and Even Thriving in the Dark Times Dr. Murray Feingold: ‘Grief is the price we pay for love’ Health Watch: Tips for post-workout recovery Community blog: Don't Fall For This Dr. Murray Feingold: Children are lacking face-to-face time Hiking Biking Faith Religion news: Seattle-based mega-church dissolves Religion Briefs 'Walk the talk' Religion briefs Christ Unity Church shows 'Gen Silent' Milestones and Achievements Ashland honey festival draws swarm of visitors Fundraiser to benefit Medford Senior Center New Arrivals The meaning behind Veterans Day Wedding: Broten-Garrett Columnist for a Day Rogue Healthy Aging Tempo Latest stories Thanksgiving comes early at Taprock Youth Symphony of Southern Oregon to perform two shows 'Alice in Wonderland' opens at Theatre Convivio 'Red Noses' a romp through slapstick and pathos Hawaiian slack-key guitarist Makana plays the Unitarian Theater 'Red Noses' a romp through slapstick and pathos SOU presents 'The Drunken City' The power of human spirit Review: Funny 'Lion in Winter' roars to life at Camelot Theatre Music Youth Symphony of Southern Oregon to perform two shows The Farr Side: CMA telecast was a disappointment Hawaiian slack-key guitarist Makana plays the Unitarian Rogue World Ensemble presents 'Gather 'Round' Focus on Tanya Gabrielian as Rogue Valley Symphony evokes the Baroque Community Events Review: Randall Theatre's 'Secret Garden' still enchanting Ashland's First Friday Art Walk showcases new exhiits by regional artists Spookadelic Halloween Funktacular promises a lively dance party Puss 'N' Boots Costume Ball and Auction Dining Thanksgiving comes early at Taprock Word of Mouth: Brunch at Brothers' Restaurant Blue Toba is a cultural experience Back Porch Bar & Grill Yu's Yummy Yan's offers great take-out Tempo Videos Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate FEATURED » Obituaries Blogs TV Listings Movie Listings Oregon Outdoors Oregon Healthy Living Magazines & Special Sections NEWS NOW Our View: Wyden's O&C bill may be the answer, or not ... A different kind of fish feed ... Detours planned while beams placed at new Phoenix exit ... Our View: Wyden's O&C bill may be the answer, or not ... A different kind of fish feed ... Detours planned while beams placed at new Phoenix exit ... ANOTHER VIEW Dana Milbank: Now comes the hard part MailTribune.com Writer Posted Nov. 6, 2014 @ 12:01 am Posted Nov. 6, 2014 @ 12:01 am » Social News During political campaigns, candidates usually tell voters what they would do if elected. But Sen. Mitch McConnell had a different idea. “This is not the time to lay out an agenda,” the Kentucky Republican told reporters four days before Election Day. A week or so before that, the man who would be the next Senate majority leader provided more details of his theory. “It’s never a good idea to tell the other side what the first play is going to be.” No, but it might be a good idea to tell the voters what you’re up to. Republicans won control of the Senate late Tuesday night and padded their majority in the House, giving the party unified control of Congress for the first time in eight years. And McConnell, who won re-election with ease, is positioned to become the leader of a new Senate majority. It was enough, electorally, for Republicans to say they were against whatever President Obama was for. Preliminary exit polls found that 33 percent of voters were registering displeasure with Obama, versus 19 percent who were expressing support. But now comes the hard part. Because Republicans didn’t run on an agenda other than antipathy toward all things Obama, they created a policy vacuum — and it’s about to be filled by a swirl of competing, and contradictory, proposals. Republicans find themselves with neither a consensus program nor a clear hierarchy among congressional leaders, the half-dozen aspiring presidential candidates in Congress and the various governors and former officeholders who also think they should be the party’s 2016 standard-bearer. Republicans have set themselves up for chaos, if not outright fratricide. Congressional leaders will be pulled in opposite directions by would-be presidential contender Ted Cruz of Texas and his expanded band of Senate ideologues (who would like to abolish the IRS, the EPA and the Education Department, chip away at banking regulations and hold umpteen more votes on eliminating Obamacare) and by the large number of vulnerable Republicans who will be on the ballot in 2016 (and would like to see the next Congress achieve tangible progress). Republicans in 2014 decided to forgo a 1994-style Contract with America or 2010 Pledge to America. The closest they came to a unified agenda was a list of bromides proffered by Republican National Committee Chairman Reince Priebus. Among the bold stands: “our veterans have earned our respect” and “the best anti-poverty program is a strong family and a good job.” With this plethora of platitudes posing as an agenda, it’s no surprise exit polls found no mandate for Republicans. Only 41 percent of voters had a positive view of Obama, but only 38 percent had a positive view of Republican leaders in Congress. The economy was by far the dominant issue in voters’ minds (70 percent thought it is in bad shape), and Obamacare didn’t seem to be a major factor: Forty-seven percent thought the law went too far, but 48 percent thought it either didn’t go far enough or was about right. This gives no advantage to either side in the Republicans’ internecine struggle. On one side will be Cruz, who told The Washington Post’s Sebastian Payne this week that the first order of business for a GOP Senate should be launching more hearings into President Obama’s “abuse of power.” He’s also pushing an effort to use parliamentary maneuvers to repeal Obamacare with a simple majority — the sort of provocation that would quickly return Washington to government-shutdown crises. Cruz, in a USA Today op-ed, also said he wants to pursue a flat tax, kill the Export-Import Bank, audit the Fed and block comprehensive immigration reform. On the opposite side is Sen. Rob Portman of Ohio, a George W. Bush administration veteran who wants to “come to the table” with Obama on wide-ranging energy legislation, free-trade deals, bipartisan tax reform and a return to responsible budgeting rather than stopgap spending bills. For this to happen, Portman notes in National Review, “all we are missing is leadership.” Without leadership, it’s every Republican for himself. Sens. Marco Rubio of Florida and Rand Paul of Kentucky, prospective presidential candidates both, have dueling tax plans. House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy, reports Politico’s Jake Sherman, “seems willing to pass small-bore bills on issues ranging from energy to health care to taxes.” By contrast, Heritage Action, which influences congressional conservatives, wants the opposite: Republicans should “focus on the big things“ such as repealing Obamacare, rather than finding common ground on spending bills. That’s the consequence of an agenda-free campaign: a majority without a mission. Follow Dana Milbank on Twitter, @Milbank. 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