I know you will appreciate my willingness to share in your/our apparent proverbial/universal time of need…

http://www.thedailyshow.com/video/index.jhtml?videoId=90485&title=congressional-therapy&tag=generic_tag_rob_riggle&itemId=109146

Don’t thank me, thank THEM…

The Democrats have come under tremendous attack from many quarters for not upholding the dignity and autonomy of Congress and pursuing Executive lawlessness and insolence.

They won’t satisfy their critics I speculate, because they can’t.

They have been effectively put in a perpetual check by the minority, and I am not referring to the “it takes 60 votes to get anything done” rationale.

The nature of the bind is this: The Republicans by using parliamentary methods available in the Senate (but not in the House) are able to keep the Democrats from passing ANY legislation.

Why do so? Really its all about checking the oversight function.

If the Democrats really pursue oversight, then the Republicans can plausibly claim to the national audience: “They didn’t have time to do the Nation’s business, but they did have time to do all these witchhunts and harass our President’s administration.”

By implication, if the people want some legislation enacted, best would be to vote out the witchhunters and return a Republican majority.

So long as the President’s men in the Senate continue to shut down that chamber, the Democrats are in check so far as pursuing oversight activities which become at this point a mere bargaining chip. The Democrats know that they have to “purchase” oversight with some substantial legislative accomplishments to offer the American people. If the Republicans can block this purchase…

Of course, the Republicans are playing a dangerous game and they know it. This can backfire as it did to the Gingrich people in days gone by.

But the stakes are high and saddled with an incredibly unpopular President, the Senatorial Republicans don’t have much choice. Popularity equates to political power, and the minority is betting that the blockade will erode the majority’s popularity more than their own.

At this point, neither party is pursuing their first choice in action. But they are bound to continue in this fashion for a while.

SO there you have it and yes, I DID just fall off an apple-truck!

The thought of Rove in some Yard isn’t displeasing I must admit.

But back to the topic. It is unlikely contempt citations will pass the senate en banc. The mood over seems very pacific currently although doubtless there’s a lot of inner seething going on.

But I could be wrong and hope I am.