First to Worst

It would appear that both sides of the aisle are racing to see which one can claim the title of worst political maneuverings.

Dean Barnett:

Is it just me, or is it becoming increasingly apparent that the Republicans and Democrats are determined to engage in a two year dumb-off

It's worse than that. It's going to be a porkfest, and I don't dig on swine.

Don Surber:

Nancy Pelosi wants to drain the swamp. But Jack Murtha isn't in a swamp. He is in her protected wetlands.

Best analogy I've seen yet. And I'd go a step further. The media loves controversy and scandal, but treats Democrats as though they're protected wetlands and the need to tread lightly and slowly is found at every turn. That's why the fact that information surrounding Abramoff spilling the beans about high profile Democrats right before being sent to the slammer comes out after the election, not before.

Abramoff was a sleazy character who pandered and worked both sides of the aisle, and the miscreants on both sides of the aisle needed to be keelhauled, regardless of the letter after the name.

Instapundit:

Learned nothing. Forgotten nothing.

Pithy. Just what we expect from Glenn.

Hot Air: On Trent Lott:

Suspect on racial issues and pork-friendly. Just the right man to help remake the party. Between this and Mel Martinez, we’re really on a roll.

It is curious, isn't it that milquetoast Martinez wants to be less aggressive. That's sure to rally the base.

Michelle Malkin has a big roundup of reaction to the new leadership selections. Do our representatives really take their constituents to be dolts? Does the GOP need to be thumped again in 2008 to see the light?

The Moderate Voice looks at the Lott ascendancy as a diminishment of the President's power (Bush had selected Frist to succceed Lott when Lott engaged in foot in mouth disease). Perhaps GOPers think that Lott would have been more saavy about the political machinations to maintain the GOP majority in the Senate. The problem is that the GOPers think that Lott was the best chance to fix the problem. Was there no one better?

Patterico looks at Murtha and Alcee Hastings and what it means for the GOP. Fun.Fun.Fun. Politically, that's a given, but from a policy and national security stance, I'm deeply concerned that they'd cut and run at the first instance.

UPDATE:
Quite a few more folks have chimed in about Lott, Murtha, and the general craziness in leadership selection.

Rich Moran is not amused. Ed Driscoll thinks that the GOP has a deathwish.

Murdoc notes that the selection of Murtha shows that the Democrats are no more interested in cleaning up the mess in Congress than the GOP. Meet the new boss. Same as the old boss. QandO isn't exactly thrilled.

Hey, Murtha's trying to defend himself from his detractors. Good luck with that. This is a target rich environment. But we've got votes, and Steny Hoyer is ahead on the points.

LaShawn Barber wonders about the tale of two crooks - Murtha and Hastings.

Others blogging: Slublog, and The Anchoress.

Technorati: politics, democrats, republicans, corruption, graft, porkbusters.