LAMBRO: Time for another Democratic shellacking

Joblessness and Obamacare set the stage for GOP election wins

Federal Reserve Chair Janet Yellen testifies on Capitol Hill in Washington, Tuesday, Feb. 11, 2014, before the House Financial Services Committee hearing. Yellen said Tuesday that if the economy keeps improving, the Fed will take “further measured steps” to reduce the support it’s providing through monthly bond purchases. (AP Photo/Cliff Owen)

By Donald Lambro

Thursday, February 13, 2014

Suddenly, with two roll-call votes, the messy, multi-issue battles of the 2014 elections have been refocused on two central issues that will put the GOP back in charge of Congress.

The budget and debt-limit fights have been set aside for the time being, with the swift votes this week for a debt-limit extension and the earlier passage of a budget to keep the government running for the rest of this year.

This means that the midterm election battles for the rest of this year will be turned into a clear referendum on the voters’ two foremost concerns: a weak, jobless economy and the increasingly unpopular, dictatorial Obamacare law.