Tuesday, November 07, 2006

Dinosaurs, uh, had their shot, and nature selected them for extinction!

Shortly after the Republicans took the House in 1994 newly installed Speaker Newt Gingrich had the skull of a T-Rex mounted in his office which he dubbed "T-Rex Anne." He was asked about that skull during a PBS interview in 2001 and explained that he had it as a reminder to the other Republican members of the House not to forget humility.

Eighty-five million years ago Rex Anne was out there feeling very important, looking for something to eat, and so I just wanted to remind my members, "Let's not get too full of ourselves here. This is a long democracy. We'll have our innings, but there'll be other people who will get their innings, too."

I recall reading an article on Gingrich at the time they took congress in which he referenced the skull and taking the opposite in his intended symbolism: it represented the primacy of the powerful on the food change and the (hoped) permanence of Gingrich's Republican majority. It represented more hubris than humility.

I remember thinking at the time that he seemed awfully comfortable in the Speaker's office. That it was going to be a huge hassle for him in a couple years when the voters realize their mistake and Republicans lose the House again and he has to move that big skull back out of that office. I resolved to do whatever I could to make sure Gingrich - and his T Rex skull - were kicked to the curb.

Now - fourteen years later and with Gingrich long gone - it looks like his revolution is finally coming to an end today. Although that's a long time to wait I take comfort in the fact that it could have been much worse.

It could've been eighty-five million years.

7 comments:

Don Snabulus said...

I don't think the GOP revolution will be over no matter what the poll results. It won't be over until their poisonous members and poisonous ways become poison at the polls.

We are only part way there. When current GOP methods of acting crazy and creating a huge police state are thought of the same way people shy away from the word "socialism" now, then the job will move from smashing the GOP revolution to making sure it never gets up again.

Dean Wormer said...

When current GOP methods of acting crazy and creating a huge police state are thought of the same way people shy away from the word "socialism" now, then the job will move from smashing the GOP revolution to making sure it never gets up again.

It's going to take a looonnngg time to get there. But I have hope that tonight we at least get the car turned in the right direction. I'm under no illusion that we won't have to change drivers at some point to make sure we get someone who is a little more free with the gas pedal.

If that makes sense. :-)

Overdroid said...

I'm hoping that the Bush legacy will go a long way towards that end. If a democratic congress can lift up the rock that is the current administration, I'm sure there's a lot of things they were hoping would never see the light of day. Also watching them kick and scream and turn on each other isn't helping them one bit.

Don Snabulus said...

Talking Points Memo Race Scoreboard

Don Snabulus said...

House: Yay
Senate: Still hope
Oregon: About what I expected so far.

Overdroid said...

Gooooooooooooooo FORM Giant Democrat ROBOT SENATE!

Dean Wormer said...

I wish I could've blogged last night.

Damn evil motherboard on my home PC.

Senate's looking good right now...