They will need the advice and networking of senior members to get their legislative efforts underway. They will want to try to deliver earmarks for their districts. And in needing to accomplish these things they will be beholding to the horse that "brung 'em" - Pelosi.

A few will attempt independence from the liberal elite that rule the chambers, but none will survive it. Liberals have been out of power for so long now that the only thing pressed upon their minds is to regain the third branch of government in 2008.

Don't misunderstand, Republicans are in even far worse shape - but at least they are waking up to that reality.

The class of the Crash Dummies has much to learn about the beltway and how things work. It doesn't help matters that Pelosi raised on average some $4500 each for them.

What she wants she will get, which come to think of it might leave Hillary in a bit of a pickle.

A sad thing about the functionally empty-suit Crash Dummies is that they will be pretty much a near immediate disappointment to those who sent them there. Make no mistake America did not lurch left on election night.

The saddest thing of all however is that the Crash Dummy class of 2006, while it was a brilliant strategy by the now near Rovian status Emmanuel, is that it removed some of the strongest true believers that social conservatives have ever supported. The likes of George Allan, and Rick Santorum, don't come along often - and their losses are blows to the body that hurt.

And it is those few true believers that our nation will miss most, whether we realize it now or not.

Though at least this way Rick Santorum can fill Justice Stevens spot on the Supreme Court given that the polite traditions of United States Senators do not permit them to filibuster one another...