Caution: Karma Ahead

For sheer low-brow, smugness gratification, there's nothing like watching the Republicans trying to squirm their way out of the awful mess they have gotten themselves into.

For weeks we watched the Tom Delays of the Republican Party on Sunday talk show after talk show, press conference after press conference, smugly hold forth themselves on the grave constitutional duty before them with respect to the impeachment process. "We have no choice," we would hear. "We certainly get no pleasure out of it." (Yes, and Newt Gingrich is a warm human being who ghost writes for Mister Rogers.) "Nobly we must forge ahead, despite what the polls may say. This is not a poll-driven decision."

That was before the election. That was when Republicans were in denial over the public polls. Well, not so much denial as they simply believed in their private polls that indicated voters wouldn't turn out in the numbers they did; that mostly hard-core Clinton-haters would, along with a few motivated swing voters (with the proper motivation).

That, as they say, was then. And this is now.

What was once their grave constitutional duty became a minor something or other, subject to political expediency - literally overnight. The next time you hear heated talk of solemn obligations, yawn and wait a few days for the political climate to change. It just might undergo rapid cooling.

There is still some official denial that polls or the election results - that is, the wishes of the American public - had anything to do with the sudden, Republican loss of interest in impeachment. Case in point, comment of late by U.S. Representative Nancy Johnson (R-CT): "I don't know a member who is thinking about this in terms of the polls." Really.

Rep. Johnson, meet Rep. Fred Upton (R-MI). While you were sticking with the party-line approach, Upton was attempting, successfully I might add, the understatement of the year to The Washington Post : "The public is not overwhelmingly interested in seeing this matter pursued."

In political Newspeak, to say the public is "not overwhelmingly interested" in an issue translates into a sentiment having to do with rats and body parts. The Republican Party, which outpolls the Democratic in "ethics," should learn to speak straight. Or at least get its story straight.

I admit smugness and "gotcha" gratification are dangerous endeavors. Normally I tread lightly when tempted. But it was good old karma that bit the Republicans - in Western terms, "what goes around, comes around" - and sometimes a guy just can't help crowing.

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