Today, in the first day of the 110th Congress, the Democratic leadership took its place in control of the House of Representatives. Nancy Pelosi, having asserted that the Speaker's gavel would be "in the hands of America's children," was elected Speaker of the House, with a gaggle of children there to whack each other on the head with her gavel.
The Democrats have been very careful to say that their focus will be on matters of interest to the American people, like ethics reform (but see Maryland Conservatarian's take on this). The word from the leadership is that impeachment is off the table. Yet one can't help thinking that they're acting like a dieter who's been offered a hunk of chocolate cake. They're straining to show resolve and overcome their natural craving but are acting decidedly unsure of themselves.
It won't be any easier to resist the chocolate impeachment cake when the vocal part of the Democratic base is yelling about it constantly. In fact, a protest aimed at the Democrats took place today, with Cindy Sheehan and others shouting down a Democratic press conference and forcing the congresspeople to leave in the middle. Ostensibly about the war, the protest was actually about impeachment, and Sheehan herself made a demand for impeachment. The demand went (relatively) mainstream this afternoon, when Jack Cafferty of CNN "slammed Dems in Congress for stating that they won't impeach the President, for refusing to cut funding for Iraq, and generally not standing up to Bush."
So there we are, after Day 1. Apparently no impeachment resolutions introduced today, though I'll keep watching. But the Democrats are going to have a hard time resisting that cake. (To mix metaphors, they'll have a hard time closing the attic door on their crazy uncle.)
And speaking of crazy uncles, be sure to stay tuned for the Beach Impeachment Project, scheduled for Saturday, January 6:
On Saturday, January 6, 2007 (just two days after the new US Congress convenes), 1,200 people will gather for an impeachment event in Nancy Pelosi's back yard — on Ocean Beach in San Francisco.Here are some photos from the site, taken during a practice run shortly after Pelosi and Company won the elections.
Early that morning, in 100-foot letters stretching 450 feet across the sand, volunteers from the Beach Impeach Project will outline the message:I M P E A C H !
This internecine strife is going to be a load of fun.
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