ZOMBIE CONTENTIONS

Odd details emerging from the Pelosi-Hoyer cage match:

At around 2 p.m., Hoyer was standing near the front of the House chamber, surrounded by a half dozen Democrats, making his case for riding out the recess and voting in September.

“…[H]e said Pelosi was intent on hammering it through [The eyewitness said Hoyer then pounded his fist against his open palm to illustrate the speaker's resolve to vote within the week.]… He made it clear that he still thinks it’s a bad idea.”

Pelosi, meeting with “progressive reporters”:

“I always call Washington the city of the perishable. When you’ve got the votes, you take the vote,” she said, punching her left hand hard with her right. “Because if you think you’re going to wait around until you get more of this or that — you just never know what happens.”

You don’t have to be a hardcore Freudian to wonder who it is Pelosi’s “really” punching and Hoyer’s “really” hammering.  Each other?  Or someone else?

Then we get stories of Blue Dogs “storming” out of Waxman’s office, and Waxman “storming” out of Pelosi’s.

What a Party they’re throwing!

There are several more chapters to go in this story, but it doesn’t seem to be getting better for these characters.  Everyone hereabouts and countrywide is focused on the Ø, but just think about the role Madam P. has been creating for herself in the future miniseries.  The storyline that’s shaping up is that our greatest-ever President’s tragic error has been letting Congress write the big bills, and has anyone in living memory ever managed a prime legislative role worse than Pelosi?

At least when she called out the Rs just prior to the TARP vote, as execrable a performance as it was, it ended up serving her party’s short-term political interests.  Since January, it’s been Ø’s fault that he let her have her head, but the Stimulus is pure Pelosi.  Cap & Trade was pure Pelosi.  And let’s not forget all the “help” she gave the Ø on the “torture” debate.

This week, she’s categorically asserted that she has the votes to pass a bill before the recess.  If she can’t, as seems at just this moment to be much more likely; if the effort falls apart and leads to desperate face-saving amidst crumbling poll numbers and corresponding electoral results for the whole political blue crew…  What are the chances that Pelosi will still be Speaker two years from today?

Those darned Republicans.  It’s all their fault.

UPDATE:  Allahpundit has more on the Blue Dogs v Waxman dust-up.