Turn Out the Lights, The (Dem) Party is Over

Nancy Pelosi and House Democrats closed the current Congressional session for the summer, despite doing nothing on gas prices. However, Republicans refused to leave and staged an impromptu protest.

Briefly, the lights and cameras were ordered to be turned off by the "leader". While the lights in The People's House were eventually turned back on, cameras (CSPAN) are no longer recording.

A couple dozen House Republicans were joined by a number of staffers, the Boy Scouts, members of the German army (ok, that's weird), and even some DC tourists.

The event lasted 5 hours, with a standing ovation by witnesses to the mini protest, followed by cheers of USA, USA, USA!

Tony Phyrillas has more from House Whip Roy Blunt (R-MO).

Politico.com followed the entire saga.

Reality Check?

Here's is a perfect example of what anti-war voters, who think their issue sent Patrick Murphy to Congress in 2006, get from their representative long after the results were tabulated.

''They can be adamant, but they have to understand reality," Ceisler said of the anti-war activists. "In terms of Patrick's election, where are they going to go? He's as good as they get on the issue. There are pockets of those people in Bucks County, but nothing that makes a big difference."

- Larry Ceisler Democrat Strategist Philadelphia

Ah, reality, that's the key. But what reality could Dems be hiding from their supporters? Reality that the surge is working? Reality that no matter how much Dems talked about how the election was a "mandate" to brings our troops home, there was never any intention to do so? Reality that the Democrats know they can't tell the President what to do with his troops?

Or is it that the donkeys will dance around the realities in Iraq to appease the hard-left, anti-war lunatics that they believe helped them get elected? Only to then turn around and talk of them as outliers in the political spectrum, because they know Democrat voters "have nowhere else to go". Or perhaps it's the knowledge, the REALITY, that talking like an anti-war hippie of the sixties, in Southeastern Pennsylvania, will result in a one-term run for Democrats like Murphy?

And here I thought the "most honest,ethical, and transparent Congress in history" - Nancy Pelosi - had a mandate. Or was that just not realistic?

It seems to me that Congressman Murphy and Democrats everywhere, like all good used car salesmen, have sold their anti-war supporters a lemon.

I have an answer to Mr. Ceisler's question. The Democrat's hard-core-leftist supporters will stay home, if the donkeys fail to bring the troops home ...that's where they'll go. Sweet dreams Patrick!

Clean Governance?

Extra! Extra! Read all about it! Democrat Commissioner Candidates have signed a "Clean Governance" pledge! This time, it's Bucks County donkeys making these statements which sound vaguely familiar to claims leftist politicians from sea to shining sea (including Montgomery County) are making this election off-season. I'm sensing a pattern here.

First however, let's take a look at history. Many Democrats and media analysts assumed that the war in Iraq was the reason for both the United States House and Senate going Democrat in 2006. However, after numerous failed attempts to force Bush to abandon the troops in Iraq, that myth never materialized. Now that signs of the surge working in Iraq are surfacing, Democrats are quick to qualify "success" by stating that political progress is far from being realized. And calls for withdrawal are being replaced with suggestions (even by some leading Democrats) of how dangerous rushing troops home would be.

The real reason the Dems won last November was because Republican voters revolted against their party for a variety of reasons. The Senate might still be Republican today if George Allen had not made a stupid comment that made him look cocky and gave his opponent much-needed momentum. Tom Foley's email sex scandal, Tom Delay's relationship with Abramoff, Katrina, and even Terry Schaivo, all contributed to a general lack of confidence and/or trust in the GOP.

But Democrats are smart, if not hypocritical, for taking advantage of the slightest appearance of dirty governance. The truth is, perception is reality. Their calls for clean and transparent government is not a new concept, but one they all seem to be making in unison. This obvious strategy on Southeastern PA Democrats part, is a curious concept for them to tackle.

The party with Senator Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) deep in his own scandal, the incompetent House Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-CA), and Ed Rendell's "sweetheart" Joe Hoeffel, might want to look in the mirror before they try those tactics.