New Direction. Same Result.

  • The lack of enthusiasm for the whole "New Direction" thing might be caused by the fact that, by the Democratic leadership's own admission, it is just a holding action anyway.

  • Roll Call's Kornacki wrote: "The New Direction agenda is separate and distinct from the campaign platform Democrats will later unveil." According to Caucus chairman Clyburn, "I think when we get back in September, we'll lay out our '06 agenda."

  • Well, no hurry on that '06 agenda business. Hey! Van Clyburn! When you get back on September 5 you will be precisely eight weeks from election day. And you think that's when you'll get around to laying out your '06 agenda?

  • The principal reason for the heightened sense of concern - if not panic - on the part of the Democratic House leadership is a grinding feeling that they needed the elections to have been held about six weeks ago when the President was at his polling low.

  • There is a growing sense, among observers here, that the GOP may well have weathered the worst of the election year storms and should be able to maintain control of the House in the November elections.

  • The chairman of the House Democratic campaign committee, Rep. Rahm Emanuel (D-Ill) told the other newspaper which covers Congress, The Hill, that he "will step down from the House Democrats' campaign operation after the November elections to spend more time with his family."

  • Doesn't sound like someone who wants to take a victory lap after directing a Democratic takeover of the House, does it?

  • And Pelosi's "New Direction" scheme? As observers here are fond of saying:
    If you don't know where you're going, any direction will get you there.

  • On the Secret Decoder Ring Page today: An excerpt from the Roll Call article, a link to the Hill article, the kind of Mullfoto which bores you, but amuses me; and a Catchy Caption of the Day.