GOP Hunts the House for One-Term Wonders in 2008
As the Crystal Ball gazes into the future of Congress’s lower chamber beyond 2008, what should it consider? Should we read anything into the moderate success of Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s early leadership? No, the elections are too far away for it to really matter. Forgive us as we turn our attention to popular music for a moment.
With apologies to fans of the 1990s alternative rock band The Verve Pipe, we would have to argue that the singular success of their 1997 chart-topper, “The Freshmen,” earned the group residence in history’s musical pantheon of one-hit wonders. The chorus still rings familiar to anyone who tuned into pop radio ten years ago:
“For the life of me I cannot remember
What made us think that we were wise and
We’d never compromise
For the life of me I cannot believe
We’d ever die for these sins
We were merely freshmen”Sure, these were some of last decade’s definitive words of teen angst. So why might they be of any significance to our politics in 2007? We know it’s early, but the Crystal Ball will have you know that an angst-ridden rematch for the House is already underway, and the large class of newly elected Democrats knows it doesn’t want to be singing this sorrowful tune two years from now….