Sufferin’ catfish! That’s some low-quality weaseling, Dugs.

Back to basics:
1) Dugger avers that there is a message to be learned from the episode of Mr. Murtha

2) Dugger notes that the Dem caucus chose Mr. Hoyer over the “extreme leftist” Murtha

3) Dugger notes that “extreme leftist has an ADA rating of 75 percent

4) However, that’s not enough information to tease out the “message” Mr. Dugger says should be plain

What other bit of information could be helpful here?

Anyone?

Both parties averages are over to the edges. This seems to be a trend - hardening ideologies.

“And your message is that”

Murtha is special (in a neagtive sort of way0 and his own party recognizes it: hence Pelosi is elected, but not Murtha.

Your “extreme leftist,” Mr. Murtha has an ADA rating of 75 percent, you say? And the caucus rejected him in favor of Mr. Hoyer?

Well, now.

The information we need to understand the “message in all this” seems incomplete. What else do we need to know?

I’m glad we have that out in the open.

Nevertheless, in spite of Mr. Murtha’s other positions, you seem to be using his position on Iraq as the defining measure of his political posture. That position is shared by politicians of varied political hues.

“Nothing left.” Really? I’d accept mostly left. The overall mid point 2005 between Rs and Ds is (ADA) right at 50%. Murtha is at 75%. That would seem to the left to me. But it is true he is not as far to the left as the Dem House average average of about 90%. But considering both parties, to the left - yes.

BD,
You tell me. Its your hypotheis. I never said ‘anti-liberal. My point would be that not that the right and the left didn’t have victories (in their own enclaves - in Ga. here the right was very strong) - but that the changeovers were mostly, largely by non hard-left candidates. Ford ran strong and to the right. Tester advertised tax relief and gun rights. Casy is a recognized social conservative like his dad. Not saying there aren’t a few, but in the Democrats ascendancy, I don’t know of many if any hard left conversions (Lamont would have been one).

Webb’s a principled conservative and I like him for it–the Congress hasn’t seen too many men like him for awhile on either side of the aisle. He’s a fine antidote to the preschoolers running the White House.

Shuler is Shuler.

Now…how about the rest of the legislators-elect you fail to mention? How do they fit into your “anti-liberal Democrat” balloonjuice?

That’s all there is to it.

Murtha? An “extreme leftist”? You’re off to a rough start right there. Murtha is to the right of both of the moderate Dems you mention (Webb and Shuler). You seem to be crowning him as “extreme” just because of his position on Iraq.

News flash, Dugs. Pols from across the political spectrum, right to left, are coming around to the idea that there’s not much more our military can–or should–accomplish in Iraq.

Nothing “leftist” about that.

For the right wing, grace is just something that happens to other people.

You say it long enough and maybe it will be true, I guess. Hoyer’s against staying this stupid fucking course. There’s miles of grey area between that and “surrender.” Go pitch your canards elsewhere.

This is not a story.

Try not to be so predictable, willya?

What we have here is an indication that the caucus will direct its leadership, not vice versa. I know it’s a difficult idea to fathom after 12 years of “The Hammer,” but you’ll get used to it.

I’d hate to think what Rumsfeld’s resignation looks like on Bush if this is a black eye on Pelosi. Must be gruesome.

Yeah, real “loss”.

tyfoc and Tuco, not so much …

Oh, I gues you already got your orders. Hack.

Tuco’s awaiting his orders as we speak …