Editorial: Where next for Obama and GOP Congress?

The Republican storm surge of 2014 that gave the party control of Congress signaled that voters have had it with deadlock in Washington.

The public wants federal officials to "get stuff done," as President Barack Obama put it after Tuesday's election. Unfortunately, the public is split on what stuff it is they want done.

Many on the right want taxes and regulations slashed, Obamacare repealed, more oil and gas production, airtight borders and less government spending. Many on the left want Obamacare preserved, a path to citizenship for immigrants here illegally, affordable college costs, spending on infrastructure and immediate action on climate change. Everyone seems to agree that the tax code needs an overhaul.

So the president and congressional leaders have a decision to make. Are they going to lead the nation forward or simply represent the polarized worldviews of their core supporters?

Representing voters is the heart of the job for elected officials. It's also the politically safe thing to do. But there are moments when the higher calling is to lead by doing what's best for the nation even if it means angering supporters.

This is a time for gutsy leadership, but will we see it? Obama and Sen. Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, the likely Republican majority leader, seem to have started the dance in search of detente. There may be room for cooperation on corporate tax reform, trade, the Keystone XL Pipeline, the Islamic State group and maybe even immigration.

As the leaders broke bread on Friday, Obama said he would support a tax system "that is fair and simple and unleashes the dynamism of the economy."

Turning this talk into action will be tough, particularly on immigration, by far the most explosive issue on that short list. Obama has threatened to use executive orders to reform immigration policies unless Congress passes a comprehensive bill by the end of the year.

McConnell warned that is "like waving a red flag in front of a bull." House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) cautioned, "When you play with matches, you take the risk of burning yourself."

If Obama goes it alone to halt deportations and allow undocumented immigrants to work legally, he could throw the government into a constitutional crisis over the limits of presidential power. He should avoid that showdown.

But the threat of unilateral action is the only leverage he has to move House Republicans to allow a vote on immigration, something they've refused to do despite Senate approval of a bipartisan bill. If he backs off again on his pledge of executive action, Obama will alienate even more of his party's core supporters. And if Republicans enact reform, they will enrage their base. Both sides should take the hits. That's what it will take to finally resolve this major challenge.

Immigration will be a key to knowing whether Republicans will reject compromise and go for the jugular. Getting it done would prove that "the party of no" can run the government. That would improve their chances in 2016 when they'll ask voters for control of the White House as well as Congress.

But right now, a handful of Republicans, such as Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas, see no reason to back off. With Democrats on the ropes after Tuesday's drubbing, they want to move in for the kill, especially repealing the Affordable Care Act -- and dare Obama to veto such a bill. McConnell and Boehner must rise above that partisan bloodlust and lead the party to higher ground.

The Democrats' election debacle has plunged them into a similar debate. After Democrats watched Republicans block their agenda and then parlay gridlock into congressional majorities, the urge to use the filibuster to reciprocate has a very strong appeal. Democrats must resist and let Obama move them to the center. Taking a turn as the party of no would consign the nation to two more years of rudderless government. That's the last thing angry, dispirited voters want.