Thugs are running the House and the Senate while the Village Idiot (albet, a good liar) sits in the White House.


Tears From the Gruff Chairman
NY TIMES EDITORIAL

Congress is heading off on vacation after a hilariously dewy-eyed adieu in which vows were exchanged to work harder toward bipartisan decorum — a goal that seems about as achievable as a balanced federal budget. In a surprise, the promises to be nicer were set off by a hand-wringing apology from Representative Bill Thomas, the widely feared California Republican who is notorious for his irascibility in wielding the gavel of the Ways and Means Committee. "I learned a very painful lesson," Mr. Thomas declared, fighting back tears as he expressed remorse for imperiously summoning the Capitol police to deal with protesting Democrats. They had bolted a committee meeting for a rump quorum in the library as Mr. Thomas had tried to ram through a pension bill that the Democrats had not had a chance to read.

The lesson Mr. Thomas really took to heart was that when he calls the police to reinforce G.O.P. hegemony, the Democrats call the news media. The resulting headlines were a rare coup for the minority as it suffers under the thumb of one-party government and rarely dominates any story. No solon was caned to the floor or struck with fire tongs or had his toupee ripped off, as happened in far more spirited Congressional fracases of the past. Shouts of "fruitcake" and "wimp" were the most counteraggression the minority could muster.

There was historical payback behind the Democrats' outcry, for the Republicans suffered the slings and arrows of minority misfortune for 40 years, before Newt Gingrich strategically targeted Democratic leaders as overbearing bullies and led his party to the majority. Mr. Thomas was probably trying to head off a campaign black eye for the G.O.P. more than trying to soften his dictator's reputation. While his contrition drew a bipartisan ovation, the driest eye in the House belonged to Nancy Pelosi, the Democratic leader who frostily studied the realpolitik of the gentleman's tears.




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