Are the Tides Turning? Part II

Ever watched soaps? A soap title could aptly describe the situation in Washington these days... As The World Turns so do the Days of Our Lives. As the World has been turning, fault lines appear to be dividing the Republican dynasty. Like any great soap family, they can only take so much before turning on themselves in stories that revolve around sex, lies, money, and death.

"Conservatives", never particularly fond of McCain's style of maverick, have been reduced to calling him a RINO (Republican in Name Only). Remember the early Bush years when McCain was attached to Bush's hip and trotted out for photo-ops like a show pony? Well with Bush in a pickle, McCain has gotten too big for his britches. Can you believe he actually thinks it's wrong to torture people? Landsakes! The Bushies are going to have a tough time getting McCain back into show pony mode now.

Senate Democrats together with the support of key Republicans of the likes of Lisa Murkowski (nepotism is my middle name) and John Sununu (my daddy was some one too) may be able to block an extension of the Patriot Act. Georgie has to be depressed about this one. Fellow members of his "my daddy was in politics" club have left him high and dry.

Twenty-two, count 'em, twenty-two House Republicans broke ranks to reject a spending bill than included significant cuts in health care, education (apparently there is a new plan to leave kids behind), and programs for the poor. This break in Republican unity is particularly meaningful because it occurred in the highly partisan House (a.k.a. Land of DeLay).

Despite some weakening amongst the rank-and-file, the Republican leadership has still managed to hold the line to a large extent. It is expected that Congress will block Democrats attempts to extend a temporary tax on Big Oil's profits as Republicans seek to further line the coffers of the J.R. Ewings of the world. And John Murtha's remarks on the Iraq war were sharply dismissed and attacked by many Republicans today.

Still, the air is laden with intrigue: who told Bob Woodward about Valerie Plame? how prevalent was graft in the Iraqi reconstruction process? did we really use white phosphorous? These stories and more could lead to a collapse of the House of Cards.