Health Care Victory Will Cost Dems Pound of Flesh

If the Democrats are able to cheer the passage of a health care bill in time for the State of the Union address they'll be "cheering their own demise," writes Peggy Noonan. The victory won't be worth the loss of support the party has suffered by pushing through health care reform when voters cared much more about unemployment and national security, Noonan writes in the Wall Street Journal.

It's now certain that the Republicans will win control of Congress this year, Noonan argues, but the party needs to make now sure it deserves that victory. If the GOP does the "lazy and cynical" thing by sitting back and waiting for the Democrats to implode, it'll further degrade American politics and make it harder for the party to lead effectively when the time comes. "Earn this," Noonan warns Republicans. "Be worthy of it. Be serious." (More Election 2010 stories.)