James D. Nowlan is a senior fellow at the Institute of Government and Public Affairs at the University of Illinois and has been a participant and observer in government and politics on many levels. Nowlan was elected to the state House of Representatives in 1968 at age 26. He also was a candidate for lieutenant governor in 1972 and was the architect of two major political campaigns – Charles Percy’s successful run for re-election to the Senate in 1978 and John Anderson’s 1980 presidential campaign.
The balance of power has changed in the U.S. House of Representatives. What will that mean for the country?
It means that George Bush is a lame duck for the last two years of his administration, and it probably means that the Democrats and Republicans will somehow try to work together or develop some congressional plan for dealing with the Iraq situation. The Republican members of Congress certainly don’t want the same situation to abide two years from now.
People should not take this Democratic victory, though, as a signal that the United States is going to immediately pull out of Iraq?
Oh, no, I certainly don’t think that. In fact, the Democrats have really not been able to articulate an alternative plan in Iraq. But I do think that both sides will see the next two years as a window in which they need to address the problem and, indeed, change course.
Republicans spent most of the past year attacking California Rep. Nancy Pelosi as an out-of-touch liberal. Now it appears she will be the first woman in the nation’s history to be Speaker of the House. How do you think she will use that power?
I think she will change style significantly and not be the abrasive liberal that Republicans have painted her, and indeed which role she may have played in the loyal opposition. I have a sense that she is going to try to work with Republicans on a big issue, such as addressing social security. I think both sides believe that this needs to be addressed, and it’s been a failure of the Congress thus far, and there seems to be some willingness to give on both the Republican and Democrat positions on social security. So it could be a win-win for both parties.
Can the rise of Democrats to power in the House lead to a less-partisan Washington?
I think there will have to be because this past Congress, which of course has been a Republican Congress, has been characterized as a do-nothing Congress. There will be internal pressure from a new historic first woman Speaker of the House to prove that she can provide some leadership in making substantive change on an issue as important as social security and perhaps Iraq as well.
In Illinois, Democrats swept statewide offices, kept control of the Legislature and held their 10-9 advantage in the state’s congressional delegation. Is this state now solidly “blue” or can Republicans make a comeback?
I think moderate Republicans that appeal to independents and Democrats can win. Jim Thompson and Jim Edgar certainly proved that they could sustain themselves in office. I think that people in Illinois need to appreciate the demographic change that’s gone on in the past 20-30 years. I think the change in the mix has meant a more democratic mix and a less Republican state than it used to be.
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