One of the big themes and memes on the national blogs lately has been that the beltway pundits are dinosaurs, missing the changes in the political structure. Instead of adapting to the new reality that for the first time perhaps ever the US is developing an ideology-based party structure (I said "developing" - the GOP is there but the Dems aren't yet) they mourn the death of "bi-partisanship" and "moderation."
The ur-pundit, David Broder, looks misty-eyed at the last of another species at extinction. Its last known habitat was Eastern Iowa:
Leach was one of eight members of the dwindling tribe of Republican moderates who lost their seats this election, unable to separate themselves from the public rejection of a conservative-dominated White House and Congress.
"But the big force," Leach said in a conversation in his nearly empty office, "was the accountability thing -- the overwhelming dissatisfaction with the Republican Congress."
Because he can understand and even sympathize a bit with that feeling, Leach said, "I am probably the least disappointed defeated member" of the vanished Republican majority.
You can almost see the tear rolling down Broder's face, like this guy:
Note that his feather does not come with a Jim Leach headband. Bet Broder didn't know about that flap when he said "tribe."
A hat tip where it is due to, of all folks, the Johnson County Republicans, who also note Leach will be on Iowa Press this weekend. You know, the show that didn't think it was "worth" inviting Dave Loebsack - that's Congressman Loebsack to y'all - to appear just a couple months ago?
Leach said he'll likely land in academia. He acknowledged a string of offers from the University of Iowa and other colleges in the state as well as such prestigious East Coast schools as Harvard, Princeton and Georgetown.
I'll say this much for Leach: no one even thought about about which high-dollar lobbying job he was going to take.
"I think Iraq will be the principle legacy of this administration," said Leach. "It is quite possible that this will go down as one of the great blunders of American history, possibly the largest. I personally think it is much more difficult than the Vietnam situation, with far greater consequences."
The JC GOP, uhhhh, didn't blog that part.
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