Dennis Hastert was elected speaker of the house and not a single vote was cast against hime.
Nancy Pelosi was elected Minority leader of the house and two candidates actively ran against her.
The new york times finds that means the Republicans are divided.
Lott and Bush are playing good cop bad cop to the criminal party.
Lott and hastert have been educated well by Bush. It is a new strategy. They always talk compromise but they never do.
Go back to the tax cut. The only thing bush really gave up was something he had 10 years to fix. Making the tax cuts permanent after 10 years. The odds were pretty good that Bush would have the senate by 2004. So it was a compromise he could revise.
On the Iraqi resolution Bush did not give an inch. He got what he wanted.
He and Lott could have caved to the union rules on homeland defense, but they didn't. Now they are going to send the senate and house home.
Think about that a moment. When all the hard stuff about Saddam is going on CONGRESS WILL NOT BE IN SESSION. They will most all be in their home districts. Bush will have the national stage to himself.
There are lots of considerations. Bush and Lott don't miss many.
Everything Bush has really wanted Lott has managed to get through the senate for him. Lots of Democratic party offcicials are mad at both Gephardt and Daschle. But any Repubican who knows what is going on, knows that both Lott and hastert follow the game plan to a t.