About Why Congress Is Gridlocked

In writing an article that is meant to flatter Nancy Pelosi, the Washington Post reporter who wrote the story, Lois Romano, inadvertently gives away some startling admissions. Want to know where the paralysis in Congress is coming from? Want to know why there has been a constant, unending stream of vicious partisan politics instead of a Congress working to move the nation forward? Look no further than the woman who would be speaker:

On election night 2004, Nancy Pelosi faced a painful reality: Her party was again a big loser, failing to win the presidency and losing three more House seats. Pundits were suggesting Pelosi should accept her fate as the leader of a permanent House minority.

But the California legislator had a different idea. Instead, she reached out to advertising executives, Internet moguls and language specialists to ask how Democrats could rise from the ashes and challenge President Bush and the Republicans. The advice that came back was unabashed: "You must take him down" and then hammer away at the differences between the two parties, Pelosi recalled.

Today the Democrats appear capable of taking back leadership of the House after 12 years in the minority, for reasons largely beyond Pelosi's control: an unpopular war, an unpopular president and a series of scandals that have left the Republicans highly vulnerable.

Nevertheless, if the Democrats win, experts say, much credit is due this 66-year-old woman, whose notable fundraising abilities (she raised $50 million this election cycle) and scorched-earth strategy of refusing to negotiate with the GOP have put her on track to become the first woman to be speaker of the House.

Dismissed by her critics as too liberal, too elitist and too lacking in gravitas, Pelosi, serving her 10th term, has proved to be a tough-minded tactician who has led her caucus from the political center and kept the fractious House Democrats in line. Pelosi and House Speaker J. Dennis Hastert (R-Ill.) rarely work together, and the Democrats voted along party lines 88 percent of the time last year — the most unified voting record in 50 years — according to a Congressional Quarterly study. By hanging together, the Democrats have thwarted many GOP initiatives, including the centerpiece of Bush's second-term agenda, restructuring Social Security.

So, congratulations to any conservatives who decided to sit out the elections, Nancy is proud that she was able to hoodwink you into doing her bidding. Congratulations for being unable to look beyond the manipulation and the media cheerleading. Congratulations for making her job of tearing the country apart easier.

If You Were Wondering If There Was….

…A complete lack of seriousness in the American media, you have to look no further than the Associated Press today. This is the media as pimp (term used advisedly). For they are trying their very best to continue to flog anything that they can that "proves" the Republicans are buried by "sex scandals". This is, of course, a blatant attempt to suppress the Republican vote. Rather than tear into the entire article, let me just take one piece of it to show how self-serving hypocrisy works.

Oh my. The news from some of this year's political campaigns reads more like the script for a tawdry soap opera. And that's inspiring candidates and party leaders to execute some creative campaign strategies to try to maintain the moral high ground.

In Pennsylvania, four-term Republican Rep. Don Sherwood is running for his political life after revelations that he had a five-year extramarital affair, and that he settled a lawsuit claiming he had choked the woman. He denies the choking part.

White House spokesman Tony Snow was left to explain why President Bush had agreed to campaign on behalf of a confessed adulterer. Bush "believes that we're all sinners, we all seek forgiveness, and in this particular case, he's supporting Don Sherwood's candidacy," the spokesman gamely offered.

The president himself managed to cast the matter in upbeat terms during a campaign appearance Thursday with the Sherwood family, praising Sherwood's wife as a "caring and courageous woman" because of a letter she wrote to constituents in which she denounced her husband's opponent for showing campaign ads about the affair.

And there we have it. The media doing the bidding of the increasingly hysterical political left. A smarmy, holier-than-thou snark piece rather than a real story. Regurgitating some talking points that appear to be culled from the fever swamps of the left.

Let's just ask the pertinent question here: why isn't anyone being asked to explain why Democrats eagerly attempt to secure a campaign appearance by a confessed adulterer, a convicted perjurer, a man who was disbarred for five years for his behavior and a man who was impeached? Why don't the headlines scream: "Confessed philanderer makes campaign appearance"? Or, "Convicted perjurer raises funds"?

The rest of the article is more of the same drivel, desperately trying to sell the services the AP to the Democrats in an attempt to alter the election. The good news is that people are getting sick of this kind of crap and increasingly turning away from the old media. Go read the entire thing if you want to see more of this kind of trash. But you already know what it says. Why bother?

Captain’s Quarters Gets New Anchor(ess)

Captain Ed Morrisey is taking some time off this weekend to perform some volunteer work. But never fear, he has enlisted a very talented backup to keep the SS Captain's Quarters on course. The Anchoress will be taking the wheel for the weekend.

I'm quite sure it will be smooth sailing. The Captain and the Anchoress are two of my favorites in the long form type of blog. Bon voyage, Anchoress.