Inside the Beltway

Ka-boom

At long last, the big derby for Ted Kennedy’s proverbial “seat” has ended in Massachusetts. But the aftershocks have only just begun.

“A wave is building,”predicts Richard Viguerie, chairman of ConservativeHQ.com. He says that the force will carry far more Democrats out of office on the state and federal level than did Newt Gingrich’s “Contract with America” revolution in 1994.

“The fear and anger of American voters at the incumbent big-government party is so strong that no Democrat in America will be immune from the voters’ wrath,” Mr. Viguerie says.

Uh-oh.

“President Obama has three choices: He can quickly institute a midcourse shakeup of his White House staff and Cabinet, abandon his socialist legislative agenda and propose free-market solutions to America’s economic problems,” Mr. Viguerie continues. “He can continue his present course and take most Democrats on the November ballot over a high cliff and so weaken the Democratic Party that a new centrist party will arise to replace the present Democratic Party.”

Or?

“He can attempt to accelerate his socialist agenda in the face of overwhelming voter repudiation, assuring his defeat for re-election and his place in the ash heap of history,” Mr. Viguerie concludes.

365 days ago

Wait. It’s like an anniversary, right? Oh. Yes. President Obama was inaugurated exactly one year ago today, at high noon. But is it party time for the president?

“I don’t know if there’s anything that he’ll do prior to noon,” says White House spokesman Robert Gibbs. “I think in many ways it is, it’s an anniversary of types, but I don’t see that a lot of people are ultimately focused on marking the first year.”

No champagne toast, no sheet cake?

“I mean, since we’ve been here, we’ve had the anniversary of the election. That was the first year. And then there was the end of the first year, which was the end of the year; and then there will be the end of the first year,” Mr. Gibbs quips. “There will be no surprise parties for the end of the first year.”

Two’s company

The world’s favorite “odd couple” have made a 30-second video to raise money for Haiti emergency relief. Former Presidents George W. Bush and Bill Clinton speak without pretense and with a certain straightforward charm.

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