Valentine

highwayscribery loves Nancy Pelosi.

Yes, "loves," like deep and passionate grab-you-by-the-back-of-the-head and plant kisses on your winning smile and sweet and sensitive eyes "loves."

As per usual, under-remarked and understated in the mainstream media, yesterday's vote tying war funding to a timetable for withdrawal represents something of a watershed moment in both the life of the Democratic Party and the history of the country.

As long as the scribe has followed the exciting game of American politics he has never seen this impossible holding company of varied interests and initiatives known as the Democratic Party get together twice in a month's time to stand up on its own metaphorical two feet and lean on its backbone.

The Republican playbook is the same it has been for decades: Hurl accusations of weakness on defense, betrayal of the troops, undermining the military leadership, hamstringing the COMMANDER-IN-CHIEF... But for once the maddening, often goofy and embarrassing Democrats found the courage (with a couple of pork servings) to stand up to the (p)resident and give the American people's wishes a policy component.

And it is Nancy Pelosi who made it happen; who seized a moment in which the Democratic Party was preparing for its habitual fraying and held it together with a plan possessing powerful symbolic impact and practical manifestations.

(w), of course, is shocked, shocked, that anyone would deign to "substitute their judgement for that of our military leaders..."

The remark is telling (if any more telling is necessary). Bush does not believe the people of the United States have a hand in directing the nation's foreign or domestic affairs. That is for he and those whom he chooses based on their mediocrity and unwavering obedience to him.

Not.

Eat it Mr. (p)resident. The people said they wanted "out" in November, not "more," not a "change in strategy." They said "out."

You can veto the measure, but that will leave you without any money to continue your misadventure and that's because Article I Section 9 of the U.S. Constitution says that Congress "shall have the power to declare war, grant letter of marque and reprisal and make rules concerning captures on land and water. To raise and support Armies, but no appropriation of money for that use shall be for a longer than two years..." (and a couple of other closely related duties).

You see, it's not all about you, despite your spoiled upbringing and frat boy mentality.

There was something utterly encouraging and delicious about watching Bush scowl and carp on the evening news only to be followed up by a clip of Pelosi, fetching in her brilliance and person, simply restating the sentence dictated by the American people in November.

These are exciting times for Democrats and hence for the country. The conservative surge has alienated moderate Republicans and independents into switching teams. A recent poll has Democrats holding a 15 percent lead where sworn allegiance is concerned.

And why not? Is there not something engaging about a party that is offering up a black man and a woman as its two presidential frontrunners? How will the Republicans, once they coalesce around the aging and vacillating John McCain, compete?

How will they match the star power and intellectual heft of elder party statesmen like Al Gore and Jimmy Carter with the likes of Newt Gingrich who is busy confessing to the fact of an extra-marital affair while he was engineering Bill Clinton's impeachment?

The Democrats have the fresh faces and the allegiance of the many who have fallen below the line in the great globalization shakeout. The Republicans wanted to divide the country and succeeded. Problem is they left the other side with a majority of angry voters seeking redress.

And worse for them, in Ms. Pelosi, the Dems have found the perfect person to lead them.