The Hound Of Ulster

Father’s doctors reported today (Thursday) that all his vital systems continue to move in a positive direction. He has not had a fever in the last 24 hours and his white blood count is only slightly above normal. His lungs are clearing. All these signs indicate that he is overcoming the pneumonia. How much Father will recover from the stroke remains unclear. It could be anywhere from 1 to 6 months before the doctors will know for certain what his longer range prospects are. The next step for Father will be a move to a convalescent hospital. This could take place early next week. The location is still to be determined. Please continue to keep Father and his caregivers in your prayers

Good news, indeed. Let the besieging of Heaven continue.

Murtha’s OUT. And it was not close. (The fact that Murtha claimed he had the votes as recently as yesterday makes me wonder if he was employing some of his “trademark bravado,” or if he has simply lost his mind. Thinking back over his other fairly recent remarks, I guess I can see what side I should join on that particular question.)

Captain Ed ADDRESSES the no-win situation Nancy Pelosi created for herself.

Steny Hoyer and Jane Harman have proven themselves capable party spokespeople, and have a record for independent thinking. Pelosi opposes them both strictly for personal reasons. She doesn’t like Harman, feeling that her fellow Californian hasn’t been partisan enough in her role on the Intel committee, and Hoyer ran against her for Minority Leader in 2001. For those personal reasons, Pelosi wants to turn to a corrupt ex-judge and a bumbling porker for party leadership positions, making a mockery of her promises of reform.

Democrats are in a bad position. They can’t afford to throw Pelosi under the bus after promoting her as the first woman Speaker in American history. They can’t afford to have Hastings and Murtha in leadership positions and then face the voters in 2008 who wanted reform and change. They can’t afford to undermine her authority and openly campaign for the reversal of Hastings’ appointment and the failure of her Murtha endorsement.

Days after their electoral triumph, Pelosi has led the party into a dead end, and they have two more years of her leadership to endure. Democrats will have to do one of the above tasks and resolve their conundrum, but any way they move, they damage their standing. An open revolt might be the best option for them at this point, perhaps led by Hoyer himself.

A bit strong there at the end, I think. But the general idea seems right to me. (There is a nagging doubt in my mind about whether or not Nancy did this to “appease” her left-hand, while knowing that Hoyer would win. But then I remember who I’m talking about.)

The Captain also has a nice PIECE on the blue dogs.

Some pundits have disputed the notion that conservatism remained strong after the midterms; some even declared it dead as a political philosophy. However, the fact that one-third of all Democratic gains in the House joined the Blue Dogs shows that the philosophy has appeal that extends to independents. The Blue Dogs will prove a tough stumbling block for the more ambitious programs envisioned by the Democratic majority — and if they don’t, the GOP has those districts in thier sights for 2008.

There are 44, apparently. Enough to make Ms. Nancy’s life very difficult. Myself, I tend to think that the Dems stick together better than the GOP. But I’m more than willing to be proven wrong.

On the other side of the aisle, McCain ENDORSED Shadegg. I’m sure there is at least some AZ-based justification for that move, but I also take it as a sign that Shadegg has a real shot. Because, lest we forget, McCain is all about MCCAIN. Always has been. And always will be, unless I am greatly mistaken.

I really hope I don’t see his name on my 2008 presidential ballot.

More than the inability to influence Iraq policy or the President’s tax cuts, Chuck Schumer says that the single greatest failure of the Democrats as an opposition party was allowing Samuel Alito to join the Supreme Court.

“Judges are the most important,” said Mr. Schumer, who orchestrated the implausible Democratic takeover of the Senate last week. “One more justice would have made it a 5-4 conservative, hard-right majority for a long time. That won’t happen.”

If the Republicans agree with the allocation to them of eight seats on that Committee, one present member will have to leave the Committee (unless there is no other change in membership on that side). One of their ten members in the last Congress, Sen. Mike DeWine, was defeated for reelection. The lowest member in seniority on the GOP side is Sen. Tom Coburn of Oklahoma, one of the panel’s — and the Senate’s — most conservative members.

The Revolution is gaining STEAM.

After member presentations to the Republican Study Committee today, I’m hearing renewed confidence from the pro-Pence crowd — that he has picked up support and members who were undecided or “slightly leaning” Boehner may be going Pence.

Good. But let’s not forget that Trent Lott just got named whip. So I’ll believe the “Pence groundswell” when I see it.

Keeping with the recent blog theme, HERE are a GAGGLE of post-election THOUGHTS. The Barnes one is particularly interesting. Or at least it’s the most interesting. I’m starting to feel a bit of post-election analysis burn-out, I think.

So, HERE is a post-election story I can enjoy. Nice to see Casey being taken to task already. (I tried to come up with a clever “Casey at the Bat” reference, then I tried coming up with any “Casey at the Bat” reference. Got nothing. You can thank your lucky stars whenever you would like.)

Floyd still CLAIMS he’s clean.

The newspaper cited unnamed sources as saying the Chatenay-Malabry laboratory gave the wrong number in its report about Landis’ second sample. Tests on the rider’s two samples indicated that Landis had elevated levels of testosterone in his system when he won the Tour de France in July.

In its report, the lab wrote that the “B” sample tested was number 994,474, while the actual number was 995,474, Le Monde said.

“The error, of an administrative nature, does not mean the positive B sample was not that of the American,” Le Monde said. “But it is being used today by his lawyers to contest his positive doping results.”

I’m still pretty skeptical. But what I really want to know is: why can’t these labs get anything right? Why do we always read about the strange things they’ve done with samples; the strange results and mistakes they’ve made? It doesn’t mean their results are wrong, but it really does reek havoc with their credibility, doesn’t it?

Lastly, a bit of the good ol’ USCCB: Amy Welborn TALKS about the “Burke Takes Center Stage” story. That’s a great headline. I’ll take that one any day of the week. Or every day, if I can get it. More Burke will only help.