As the Dust Settles....

Now that the initial shock of Black Tuesday's events are behind us, some greater reflection and analysis is in order. Here are a few items that I previously overlooked:

• What's left of the House GOP Caucus voted to keep John Boehner (OH) and Roy Blunt (MO) as their leaders. Those hoping for new faces were disappointed. But both men had only been in the job since February when Tom Delay stepped down. Question: will the Democrats adopt the "Delay Rule" which requires a leader to step down if he or she is indicted? Don't bet on it.
• Much of the focus this week has been on how the new balance of power will shake out. Newt Gingrich writes that we could either wind up with a center-left coalition where GOP liberals in both the House and Senate join liberal Democrats, or the preferred outcome, where the traditional center-right coalition is restored.
• Peggy Noonan asks a similar question in "Who'll Claim the Center?" She wonders whether Democrat's will embrace the opportunity they have been given, or whether their leadership will degrade into a left wing freak show. She also has some rather harsh words for President Bush, and appears to take the side of some of the sheep in the GOP Senate who never agreed on anything but blaming President Bush.
• John McIntyre at Real Clear Politics analyzed the issues where he felt Republicans hurt themselves: 1.No fiscal restraint, earmarks and candy for everyone, 2.Terry Schiavo and stem cells made it appear the religious right was dictating policy, 3.Angry GOP rhetoric over immigration turned off Hispanics, 4.Corruption. There's some good news in his piece, but you'll have to look hard for it.
• Jed Babbin warns that the lamestream media is just warming up efforts to tar and feather only Republicans. Babbin refers to the Democrat friendly media as the "527 media" who are ready to work with House and Senate Democrats as they "investigate" every facet of the Bush Administration with one aim in mind: creating a series of damning soundbites and drive-by media hysterics as a prelude to the 2008 presidential campaign which has already begun.

Nancy Pelosi deserves some expanded attention here. Her claim on election night that "The American people voted to restore integrity and honesty in Washington. And the Democrats intend to lead the most honest, the most open and most ethical Congress in history" reminded many people of a similar phrase from President Clinton's first days in office. And we all know how that worked out don't we?

Pelosi backed Iraq surrender advocate Murtha for House Dem leader and lost. Will she now stick with her rumored plan to put an impeached Federal Judge, Alcee Hastings as head of the Intelligence Committee? Marc Shepard has all the background on this issue and it leads one to wonder if Pelosi could be dumb enough to go through with appointing Hastings.

But then again, there's a precedent for Pelosi in another Democrat role model:

Nancy Pelosi Carter
By Jeffrey Lord
American Spectator
November 11,2006

It was the first hint of things to come, and it did not bode well.

President-elect Jimmy Carter, over the objections of everyone from the AFL-CIO to conservative Democratic Senators (think Robert Byrd), had just nominated former JFK speechwriter and noted liberal Theodore Sorensen to be Director of the Central Intelligence Agency. Democrats, flush with their first presidential victory in twelve years were suddenly divided, appalled and decidedly angry -- at each other.

It was December, 1976.

What could the new president possibly be thinking? All of the tons of positive press, the absolute glow that surrounded the Man from Plains, the ex-Naval officer and successful Georgia businessman/farmer who had just defeated incumbent Republican President Gerald Ford, was suddenly being turned upside down. Before Carter had even been sworn in there were worried whispers about his competence, the startling revelation of a decided and previously unnoticed tendency to left wing politics.
...
[jumping forward to today]There is a reason for the unsettled reaction of Democrats not only at Pelosi's backing of Murtha, but her apparent imminent support of the once-impeached Florida Congressman Alcee Hastings to be chairman of the House Intelligence Committee. Rank and file Democrats rallied to Pelosi's nemesis, Maryland Congressman Steny Hoyer, over Murtha as Majority Leader. But just as Democrats were unable to stem one Carter disaster after another they now face another dilemma. Will they -- can they -- prevent the promotion to one of the most sensitive positions in the War on Terror to a man earlier Democrats decided was, essentially, a crook worthy of impeachment?

The Carter experience is instructive here. Regardless of what increasingly uncomfortable Democrats did or said as the Carter presidency unrolled -- or unraveled -- they found themselves confronted with a leader who personified a deadly combination. Jimmy Carter proved to be both weak yet unstoppable within the rank and file of Democratic activists. Salivating at the prospect of a supposedly "extremist" Reagan candidacy, Democrats to this day are reeling under the devastating impact of Carter's presidency and his uncanny ability to make one bad personnel and policy choice after another.

As Democrats stagger forth after abruptly overruling their new leader's choice of Jack Murtha, Nancy Pelosi's Ted Sorensen, they are clearly beginning to look at the soon-to-be reality of Speaker Pelosi and shudder at the realization they have are about to have a Carter-like Speakership.

One awaits the mantra of Democratic disaster to emerge from the past of the 2000 election as the Pelosi-sponsored Alcee Hastings gets his moment in the sun, a mantra that no doubt already has Karl Rove chuckling.

The Pelosi legacy begins.

Writing at Slate.com, Timothy Noah suggests that Democrats may want to Dump Pelosi or at least put the new House speaker on probation.

Things do not look so bleak after all.