Yglesias writes about the "Hidden Congress" that manages to pass a fair amount of legislation under the cover of anonymity. That's similar to the dynamic of "All news is bad news." We focus on things that don't work. No one writes a story about "dog bites man."
There's a lot of talk about the threat that Republicans currently pose to democracy in America. I certainly share some of those fears. I do wonder, however, if we can remove Trump from the equation, if the next Republican leader will be as brazen in his or her denial of reality. Or if they will carry the charismatic influence that Trump did with his dead-enders.
The government is actually functioning, but all we hear about is what isn't functioning. We are passing bills, but we only hear about what we aren't passing.
At the end, Yglesias touches on how the actual work of the Hidden Congress is anathema to activists' ideas of how to secure change. Activists need visible victories to drive fundraising and support, but politicians like Biden would prefer to do quiet work that adds up to positive change.
Have to say I'm on Biden's side here.
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