non-ecumenical ramblings

Trying to blog from a hotel "business centre" & blew away my post. Not sure how inspired to recreate.

The GOP coalition is showing its contradictions - how long could small government types & pork barrellers co-exist? Libertarians & nanny-staters. Outside of low taxes, what do they have in common?

Metrics:

• Doha's not looking good & fast-track expires in little more than 1 year.
• Iraq deaths continue to be well above 20/month (looking like 65 for this month), so no improvement there.
• Deficit - anonymous earmarks continue which says everything about this Congress & its fiscal discipline.

Wagers:

• Some blogger on the left had a funny posting handicapping the 2008 election (sorry, but lost posting). He didn't think that Hillary despite her assets could win & said that Warner didn't stand a chance so he predicted Gore. Don't know about that prediction, but will concede that Warner's just not looking that strong.
• Given the continued violence in Iraq I can't see any major troop reductions this year.

Next elections - despite the hullabaloo, I can't see the Dems picking up more than 4 Senate seats (max) & 8 House seats. Some pundit called that the best scenario as GOP will be blamed for the 2-year lame duck Congress. Don't know if I agree, but still hope that the Dems can position themselves for majority status in 2008.