Who Needs The Supreme Court?

House and Senate negotiators have tucked a potentially far-reaching anti-abortion provision into a $388 billion must-pass spending bill, complicating plans for Congress to wrap up its business and adjourn for the year.

The provision may be an early indication of the growing political muscle of social conservatives who provided crucial support for Republican candidates, including President Bush, in the election. (from NY Times)

And yet we heard from many R-wingers after the election that the GOP was not hijacked by the religious right, that we were being alarmist, overblown, etc. Well, as Colin Powell learned, be careful who you choose to associate with -- it can come back to bite you, hard.

You more moderate Republicans out there (yeah, I'm talking to you two!), get ready for the staunch, unyielding religious sect in the party to move in and take over. Here we see they've muscled enough legislators to slip a provision into a spending bill (gutless, slimy), we've also seen them take Arlen Specter out back to the woodshed and give him a good whipping (reportedly, now he'll behave!). And yet many a R-winger continues to live in non-reality-based denial -- which is fine, the same was generally true when Newt was running their party into the ground. By the time they wake up, it will be too late. They just don't learn.

It's similar to the species of bird that lays an egg in a smaller bird's nest. The offspring is larger than the others and over time crowds out the nest, getting all the food. Eventually, this fat "baby" is the only living thing left, all other offspring long dead from neglect.

Meanwhile, to show their class, Daschle gave his goodbye speech and only a few Republicans showed on the floor to be respectful and listen. In fact,

Senator Bill Frist, the majority leader, who broke with Senate tradition to campaign against Mr. Daschle in his home state, South Dakota, did not appear until after Mr. Daschle finished speaking. The scant Republican showing provoked Senator Frank R. Lautenberg, Democrat of New Jersey, to speak out. "I don't know why, why in the closing days, some element of comity, some element of grace, some element of respect for a human being, could not have gotten some of our friends out of their offices," Mr. Lautenberg said. (NY Times)

Uh, Frank, that's easy: because they're arrogant, power-crazed ASSHOLES!