Pulling Mussels From a Shell

Congratulations!

Representative Nancy Pelosi was re-elected as the House Democratic leader on Wednesday despite a striking show of unrest among members of her caucus following the Democrats' heavy losses in the midterm elections. Meeting in private, House Democrats voted 150-43 to leave in place a woman who, as Speaker of the House, became a lightning rod for public anger over some of the sweeping and costly legislation passed during the past two years. (NYT, 11/17/10)

This is what Pelosi’s friends at the New York Times had to say!

We recall that it was President Obama who famously told John McCain at the televised “bi-partisan” health care summit: “Elections have consequences.” Apparently 150 Democrats didn’t get that message. Here at RedStateVT, we could not be happier that Pelosi will continue to be the face of the Democrat Party for two more years.

He’s Unexceptional
The conservative use of American exceptionalism as a political sword today is perversely revealing. (Matt Miller, Washington Post, 11/18/10)

Miller derides Sarah Palin and other conservatives for talking about the uniqueness and greatness of America. He sees this as a sign of insecurity. Then he says that he loves his country and is a patriot. Then he says the following:

There's something off when the first generation of Americans that is less educated than its parents feels a deep need to be told how unique it is. Or that a generation that's handing off epic debts and a chronically dysfunctional political process (among other woes) demands that its leaders keep toasting its fabulousness. Especially when other nations now offer more upward mobility, and a better blend of growth with equity, than we do - arguably the best measures of America's once-exceptional national performance.

For a second there, we were not sure whether or not Miller was going to devolve into the Left’s litany of complaints about America. In the end, however, he delivered the usual claptrap of nonsense. Less educated…really? More upward mobility...where? Better growth with equity…what does that even mean?

Our only disappointment is that Miller did not get into foreign policy where he could have talked about wars of aggression and imperialism. Maybe a future column. Sounds like maybe someone doesn’t love his country as much as he claims!