EDITORIAL: Housed

I would rather vote Republican but... Republicans didn't lose by being "too conservative" but by being too liberal, too corrupt, too arrogant, too perverted, too fascist, "too warmongering", and too racist. Even the limp wristed, slouching, pothead Billy Buckley believed in the pretense reason and debate. Today's modern conservatives instead believe in name calling, bigotry acting like disgusting animals. Most Americans find the current manifestation and "marketing" of conservatism and the Republican party repulsive and disgusting. The editor writes that an accurate diagnosis of what went wrong will be a "mystery for the ages". Hilarious. Vast numbers of witnesses already know "what" went wrong. The GOP braintrust thought it could make a deal with the military and police union fascists. Votes, Tactical political operations, money, sex and murder pardons in exchange for "coordination" and a blind eye at the executive and congressional oversight levels under a Republican Administration. A very admirable architectural achievement of an unusually sleazy, murderous and un-American scheme. In addition, Republicans were to go anti business and invite the trailer trash rasicts to come out of the closet (and out they are). It actually worked from 2000-2004. What this editor and the other scum of the Republican brain trust are really scrambling to do is to dodge responsibility in the hopes of keeping their cushy leadership positions a little longer. Sadly, it will probably work.

If it does happen you can bet on one thing: they will establish programs that make the average citizen dependent on elitist congressional decisions and you won't be able to get them out. We will adhere to “the evolving standards of decency that mark the progress of a maturing society”. Welcome to the U.S.S.A - United Socialist States of America. Term limits now or forever hold you peace.

While I agree that the evidence early in the year pointed to another bad year for the GOP, I can't agree that that's the landscape currently before us. Democrats have stumbled badly on the energy issue. Here in Minnesota, freshamn Tim Walz is leading in the polls but he's getting hammered from all directions on his unwillingness to increase oil production. Meanwhile, his GOP opponent, Brian Davis, is hammering him hard daily on the issue. High gas prices are hitting most of the major demographic groups hard, from seniors to truckers to those in the lower middle class to commuters. The Democrats are the 'No Solutions Party. They're clueless at a time when people are demanding solutions. Meanwhile, House Republicans are talking daily about the solutions they've got. The simple question is this: Can we afford another 2 years of Nancy Pelosi? Don't be surprised if November delivers a no confidence vote on Pelosi's leadership. (That isn't a prediction that the GOP will retake the House; it's a prediction that Democrats are kidding themselves if they think energy isn't THE ISSUE this fall.)

Why have House [and Senate] Republicans failed to capitalize upon the failures of the majority's ineffectual leadership in such a climate? Easy...They are truly unworthy of continuing to hold power over the people. They, for the most part, have long forgotten they were sent to Washington to be Servants of the people, not the reverse. They have become part of the elite permanent ruling political class. They have been corrupted by the sleazy influences that slither the halls of Congress. The White House-K Street-RNC/GOP connection. They have shed like a dirty dish rag the ideals and principles that had once made the Republican party worthy and great. There is no fight left in them. In short, they have become as democrats. Corruptible and corrupted to the core. They are then not worthy of reward for this betrayal of the trust We The People invested in them. The worm turns. (There are precious few exceptions to this rant. To those who have remained true and honorable, I humbly beg their pardon.)

Congressman Walz is getting hammered from one direction only: Davis's campaign, bloggers like Gary below, and canned letters to the editor from those supporting Davis. The Winona Daily News and the Mankato Free Press have both come out with strong editorials against drilling in ANWR. Davis himself now has a reputation as a serial exaggerator on energy policy and other areas, and he faces what Real Clear Politics today called "an increasingly ugly" primary against state Senator Day.