Just one, but the GOP has to want to change.

There’s an interesting difference between the post-election opeds written by House Minority Leader John Boehner (R‑OH) and Rep. Jeff Flake (R‑AZ) in the Washington Post.

Flake admits the GOP has made mistakes:

I suggest that we return to first principles. At the top of that list has to be a recommitment to limited government. After eight years of profligate spending and soaring deficits, voters can be forgiven for not knowing that limited government has long been the first article of faith for Republicans.

Boehner writes of the same principles and that the GOP has a lot of work to do, but betrays no awareness that the GOP may have done anything wrong over the past eight years.

I guess this may take a while.

P.S. — A suggestion for Mr. Boehner: drop the talking point that the GOP will “offer health-care reforms that empower patients and doctors.” Physicians have many legitimate gripes, but government has already done too much to empower doctors at the expense of patients. Just focus on empowering patients.