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Opinion L.A.

Opinion: Invitation to a hanging

By Michael McGough
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Britain is abuzz -- I always wanted to say that -- over the possibility that no party will win a parliamentary majority in elections expected in May. A so-called hung parliament, in which Liberal Democrat leader Nick Clegg might dangle his support in front of both Gordon Brown and David Cameron, would be a nightmare scenario for Brown’s Labor Party or Cameron’s Conservatives, but a clear loss would be even more frightening. Thus the idea of Inviting Clegg into the government, resulting in an Israeli- or German-style coalition.

Which is why (along with other reasons) I never have understood Americans who pine for parliamentary government as an answer to gridlock. Barack Obama is free to include a token Republican in his Cabinet, but it’s good that he’s a unitary executive, to coin a phrase. Can you imagine a situation in which the leader of the Free World would have to negotiate with a third party -- the tea party, for example -- in order to govern? Blimey!

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-- Michael McGough

Opinion L.A.
Michael McGough

Michael McGough is the Los Angeles Times’ former senior editorial writer, based in Washington, D.C. He wrote editorials for The Times from 2006 to 2021. Before that, McGough worked for 30 years for the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette as a reporter, editorial writer, editorial page editor and Washington correspondent. He wrote about law, national security, politics, foreign policy and religion. McGough is a graduate of Allegheny College and also attended the University of Kent at Canterbury in England and Yale Law School, where he received a master of studies in law degree.

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