[KevinTheOmnivore]

" If I'm a Republican, I take that debate."

'Cause the Republicans have such a sterling record on being right about stuff.

Ok, maybe you should re-read my post. It's my belief that Republicans are reeling here, and a silly debate over impeaching the VP (something they all know won't happen) is time well spent in their minds.

Also, it's possible for congress to focus on more than one thing at once. taxing, surely, but not impossible.

Funny...for a moment I thought you were being sarcastic, b/c I can recall a couple times saying this same thing to you almost verbatim.

The problem with that argument is that a call for impeachment gets privileged status, no matter which nut job proposes it. This means it takes precedent, and other business becomes secondary. It's like a snow day for Republicans.

And if kooky Dennis Kucinich proposes impeaching the VP, that will be the story of the day. Congress could ban the 1st amendement and it wouldnt get covered.

AND, even assuming the Republicans are right about it being a preferable, loosing issue, and I don't cede that, sometimes it's okay to do something that may not strategically work because it's the right thing to do. It's called having an iota of principal. On rare occasions, people sometimes even react positively to a politician taking a stand based on actual beliefs regarding the law as opposed to what might improve their political power.

Well, um, you should cede it. It got sent to committee heaven. It had no chance.

So wait, when Republicans drag out stupid flag burning bills that can never pass, is that "principled"? Or, is it an attempt by a guy who is running for president to get his name in the papers, not to mention the fact that he may get primaried for his senate seat next time around...?

You know how the Republicans won this one? By the D's predictable cravenness which even the majority cannot make them shed.

You could make this argument for any bill or resolution that fails in Congress: Why, this bill banning short skirts in public places failed because of the lack in moral acuity of the Democrats!

'We want this debate! Oh SHIT! You guys are willing to have it?! CRAP, we must have been wrong, quick, quick, get it into committee and drown that baby because if they want it, it must be good for them since they're always right about stuff like Terry chiavo and War and torture!'

THAT's where they lost points, by looking like a collection of lackluster tepid boobs who who would find some way to loose if the Republican front runner was videotaped eating babies.

Uh, no. They lost it because they are polling worse than any Congress in the history of survey research, and Republicans could've spun this as another effort of the do-nothing Democrats to avoid doing any work. Let's write the radio spot:

{Old couple, somewhere in Wisconsin or Florida}

OLD DUDE: Ester, did you read the local Big News today???

OLD LADY: No Charles, what's going on?

OLD DUDE: Congress is trying to impeach the Vice-President.

OLD LADY: The Vice-President!? This isn't why I voted for them in 2006!

OLD MAN: That's right, Ester. If only they worked this hard on the important things.

OLD LADY: It just seems so partisan.

OLD MAN: I know, Ester. I know.

OLD LADY: It just makes me sick, those DC people!

OLD MAN: I love you, Ester.

TELL CONGRESS NOT TO KILL ESTER.