FEVERISH BLISS AND NIGHTMARISH REALITY

One of the few "joys" of having spent a week in bed, alternating between high fevers and REALLY high fevers is that as you lose touch with reality, you can construct an alternate world more pleasing to your subconscious. And that's where I've been for the last week.

In "Seamus World" of the last week, though I couldn't bring myself to completely ignore the results of the 2008 National Election, I COULD at least pretend that everything was going to be all right. Today, as the last cycle of fever broke, Ugly Reality snapped back at me with a Vengeance.

Well, every fever must break; one way or the other, and every created reality must subtend itself to the facts on the ground.

So, thrust rudely back in "this" world, I think I have discovered the "Secret Plan of the House GOP Leadership".

That would be something like this; "If at first you don't succeed, FAIL, FAIL again."

"Our" Republican Congressmen appear to be so PLEASED with the results of the 2006 and 2008 elections that they've decided to "get the band back together" for an encore performance in 2010.

AHEM.

With the Gentlemanly Exception of The Honorable (indeed) Roy Blount from Missouri (7th District), the outgoing GOP Whip, the ENTIRE House GOP leadership has cut a deal to be reelected. "Kudos" to Congressman Blount for his integrity and "Thanks" for his service in these difficult times.

On the Other Hand, to the Notably Smaller Republican Congressional Delegation of the incoming 111th Congress, HUH?

HAVE YOU ***ALL*** LOST YOUR MINDS??

I'm sure that John Boehner (Ohio - 8th) and Eric Cantor (Virginia - 7th) are really nice guys. And, Lord knows they haven't had the best of all political worlds to deal with in the last 4 years. BUT...

Given where the House GOP finished two weeks ago, this serves to conclusively prove (according to the old proverb) just how really, REALLY nice the existing House GOP leadership are, especially to Democrats.

Why would the House GOP return the leadership that has FAILED SPECTACULARLY in the last two election cycles? Either they are remarkably sadomasochistic or there's something else at work here. Something that's More Ominous and Not So Good for Conservatives (our usual Gift from the House GOP leadership). Here's my Best Guess.

Pig, pork, swag, porcine byproducts, M-O-N-E-Y, earmarks and all the other byproducts of the Congressional "Spend Like a Greased Pig" circuit that has already brought the Republican Party to the brink of multi-decade political exile.

To the Outside World, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi is little more than a Botoxed-horror, constantly displaying the typical Beverly Hills/West Palm Beach death-like grimace that ONLY the Botox- and cosmetic surgery- addicted think is a smile. But there is far more to Nancy Pelosi than All-Time-Record-Low approval ratings and her standing as America's Top "Horrors of Cosmetic Surgery Gone Wrong" model.

Speaker Nancy is from a long line of pols who know how to play the "Inside Game". And at that, Nancy Pelosi is First Amongst Equals, she has already seduced (EEEEW!) the House GOP in the last two Budget Capitulations, and returning Boehner and Cantor to the GOP leadership just sends Nancy Vicious the unmistakable message; "Let's Get Together and Do It Again!".

In the last two budget cycles, Pelosi has made sure that Greedy GOP Congressmen are right up there, squealing like pigs and with their snouts in the Taxpayers' Trough up to their Curly Little Tails.

And now it would appear that the ENTIRE House GOP Caucus is about to choose "staying the course" over WINNING. Or, at least, Pigging out at the Public Trough over Conservative Principles.

If this bugs you, here's a suggestion.

Call Congressman John Boehner's Capitol Hill office at (202) 225-6205 and POLITELY ask him to step aside from his candidacy for House Minority Leader, and throw open the GOP leadership elections.

DITTO for Congressman Eric Cantor, who can be reached at (202) 225-2815.

AND, if you are one of the two or three people left in the United States with a Republican Congressman returning to the 111th Congress, CALL THEM and ask them to OPEN leadership elections for COMPLETELY NEW LEADERS.

Setting aside whether or not it's as OBVIOUS to them, as it is to us Lowly Voters, that the House GOP needs a SERIOUS CHANGE in leadership, it is a sign of MASSIVE IGNORANCE on the part of the rank-and-file GOP Congressmen to believe that a Freakishly Failed leadership cadre should be returned to DO IT ALL OVER AGAIN.

If your not sure of your GOP Congressman's telephone number you can go on the web to find it at; WWW.HOUSE.GOV or call the House switchboard at (202) 222-3121

OR, we can all start planning for a "Three-peat" in 2010? Gives us time to switch Party registration to be on the winning side for a change?