tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12703782.post116310724118619235..comments2020-04-11T03:30:02.282-05:00Gary R. Welshhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15185079937305083438noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12703782.post-1163338895668429052006-11-12T08:41:00.000-05:002006-11-12T08:41:00.000-05:00AI, I have to take exception to your back-handed comment about the "Sopranos."LPerduehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05628362664340328791noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12703782.post-1163160867512779282006-11-10T07:14:00.000-05:002006-11-10T07:14:00.000-05:00I know Joe Donnelly well. He's not conservative. Not even close.<BR/><BR/>ML is only Speaker in Waiting, evidence Pelosi. If you're ML and not careful, you're tagged with all the losses and get credit for none of the wins. Speaker gets a lot more leeway.<BR/><BR/>I hope Pence gets it, but it's still not worth much. You get a nice, bigger office, and Capitol Police protection to ride around in a big armored SUV. You get to sit in on big meetings. <BR/><BR/>But in today's ever-increasing polarized, wedge policial climate, the 200 (+/-) Repulibcans are already looking for ways to dethrone Pelosi. From about half of them, you'll hear nothing but shrill sounds for two years.<BR/><BR/>I think the Dems will hang together on the tough votes. They've got about 12-13 extra votes, and on tough issues, where re-election back home could be difficult, Dem leadership will give a pass to certain new members.<BR/><BR/>At least now we'll have less m,eaningless wedge issue votes to posture on the side of "morality: or "national security."<BR/><BR/>That structure didn't work well for Hastert.<BR/><BR/>God this sounds good: Former Speaker Hastert.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12703782.post-1163131504585091692006-11-09T23:05:00.000-05:002006-11-09T23:05:00.000-05:00Quite to the contrary. The Minority Leader will have a lot of clout. You have to realize that the freshman class of Democrats is much more conservative on the whole than the current Democratic caucus. Hill, Ellsworth and Donnelly are all much more conservative than the national Democratic Party. The Blue Dog Dems may form coalitions with Republicans from time to time on key issues--just like occurred when the Rs were still in the minority back in the 80s under Reagan.Gary R. Welshhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15185079937305083438noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12703782.post-1163123606758713912006-11-09T20:53:00.000-05:002006-11-09T20:53:00.000-05:00Indiana delivered three freshman to the rout this year. In that Class of 08, one of them will surely rise to leadership soon.<BR/><BR/>Pence is a nice guy for a wigged out conservative Republican. <BR/><BR/>Boehner, I'm told by DC wags, can be linked pretty closely to the Foley scandal, despite his protests otherwise.<BR/><BR/>We'll see.<BR/><BR/>Minority Leader ain't worth a cup of warm drool, tho.<BR/><BR/>What's gonna be funny is the K St. lobbyist switchover. DeLay had gone down that street with such a vengance, that some of those firms are rushing to hire some D-leaning folks.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com