Republicans cluster around Hastert

Whom the gods wish to destroy, they first strike with idiocy. By that logic, the gods are hoping for a wipe-out in November, because the republicans - there's a typical one right above - are eating stupid pills by the fistful.

For example, the forces of evil have closed ranks around Denny Hastert, despite a poll showing that his retention could cost them fifty seats in the House alone.

And that he protected a child molester, despite laughable new claims now being trotted out to the contrary.

In other news, job growth has slowed; Rove's secretary just "resigned" because of the Abramoff scandal (remember that one?); Senator John Warner just joined the cut-and-run crowd; Iraq continues to descend deeper into civil war; a laxly-regulated chemical plant in North Carolina went up in flames, causing the evacuation of 17,000 people; and so on and so forth.

Have you finally, at long last, had enough yet?