John Breaux, Idiot

I think political people in Washington, D.C. have a greatly inflated sense of their importance. I think that's especially true of Senators. But this comment from Louisiana's John Breaux on the fallout from the Thomas Pickering nomination was a little shocking even to me:

"I'm fearful the Senate is going to look like the Israelis and the PLO," said Sen. John Breaux (La.), a Democrat who often seeks compromises with Republicans. "It's a real recipe for stalemate and for Congress becoming more irrelevant when it can't get anything done, even simple things."

No Senator. Tom Daschle and Trent Lott are going to continue to act like spoiled brats most likely. And who knows, Trent may even have a temper tantrum. But please don't compare the petty business of the Senate to the people dying in the Middle East. This country will survive the sort of gridlock likely to be produced by 100 spoiled brats -- we libertarian types even contend it will probably be better off. But it's NOTHING like the Israelis and the PLO.

[Posted at 21:18 CST on 03/26/02] [Link]