Winning in the House has always been a huge thing. Whoever has the majority determines every single thing that happens there.

And that may be very bad news for Democrats.

In the minority, per the Democrats recent playbook, you sit on the bench, offer nothing and criticize everything.  Then you blame everything that happens in every corner of America on the ones with "all" the power.

But with a majority of, say, five seats.  Democrats don't have the luxury of voting the way they or their constituents might want.  To get bills through - particularly bills hostile to the Administration - they have to have every last vote on a party line.

So here's what I see happening.  Bills are brought up and passed on party line votes for massive increases in stem cell research; removing barriers to abortion; raising taxes and reinstituting the death tax; investigating and Censuring the President and anyone who has spoken with him in the last 10 years.

Then in 2008 they have to run again.  But they'll be highly unlikely to hold on to some of the seats they'll pick up this year.  The DeLay seat, the Ney seat and the Foley seat will be theirs for only two years.  And what of all those seats in 50/50 to Republican-leaning districts?  Those votes will be hung around their necks like a noose.  And will absolutely cost them seats and the majority after only two years.

In my opinion, the Democrats would be much better off getting within a single seat of the majority and continuing to play possum while charging Repbulicans with every evil under the sun.  Then in 2008 with a strong Presidential candidate on their side and no baggage from the last two years, they could sweep to a manageable and long-lasting majority.

Sometimes the worst thing that can happen to you is....you win.

sharp

Today's polls show the Republicans retaking the lead in Senate races in Missouri and Tennessee and holding on to the lead in Virginia. But they also show Kean taking the lead in New Jersey, which would be a pick up for the red side.

There is also a great GOTV machine in Ohio that could pull Dewine over Brown and the net could be a single seat gain in the Senate and a 54-45-1 Senate in favor of the Republicans.  That's assuming the Republicans lose in Montana, which is not a given.

Hide the cutlery on the left side of the house.  If the Democrats can't win this year, they'll never win with this crowd.

But the House looks like a sure Democratic party takeover.

Politics is never dull.

sharp

Jonah Goldberg, an editorialist in the LA Times has a piece called "Iraq was a worthy mistake" which calls for a novel next step in Iraq. Have a popular vote about whether the American troops should stay or go. He says that polls without consequences are meaningless and that, faced with no American protection, Iraqis might well vote heavily in favor of retaining the American presence for now. This would then provide a mandate to stay and to do what's necessary to see Democracy flourish.

An interesting idea.

sharp

Saturday was a beautiful day, here.

My son and I did our monthly delivery of food and supplies to poor families downtown and I'm always encouraged and convicted as I go. It takes me exactly 30 minutes back in my house to forget their plight. It takes me 2 minutes in my car to be ranting at the fellow in the next car (who is most likely ranting back with better prose).

But Saturday was a beautiful day. It was sunny and warm on my face and on the faces of the folks on my list. And the differences between how we lived on Friday were past. We were standing side by side in the driveway or the doorway and were the same. For just a few minutes, I could forget how angry I became over some media issue or how sad I was over the needless loss of life somewhere in the world (like the Amish girls ... but here I go again).

Saturday was a day I'll remember when I'm old. If I find that I'm worried about how to pay for my medicine or what I might eat. I'll reach out and receive the bags from some young man in a nice car and I'll think about the sun on my face and the wind that teases the hair on both our heads. The breath in our lungs and the colors of the trees. For just a moment, I'll be taken back to the day when I had the energy and the money and the desire to bring gifts to strangers.

And it will be a beautiful day.

sharp

I've supported the war from the beginning. I've believed that the people of Iraq wanted freedom and a chance to determine their own leadership. There were those who said Democracy wouldn't work for the people of the Middle East - and I argued strongly that all men wanted to be free.

And maybe they still will.  Maybe they'll get their fill of blood and hatred.

But maybe not.

Maybe the entire Muslim religion is so based on hatred and violence that democracy is impossible for them.  Maybe the peace-loving minority will be slaughtered along with all hope.

They kill over books, cartoons, comments and rumors.  They kill for power, for revenge, maybe even for sport.  They beat their defenseless wives in private and feel no shame for it.

How much has Muhammed devalued the life that God has created?  And who, in Iraq or Iran or anywhere else in the Middle East, will stand up to say that it's wrong?

So far....no one. 

sharp