Are The Democrats Getting A Little Too Big For Their Britches?

As a kid, when I was acting like a bit too much of a wise ass, my grandfather would say "Boy, you're gettin' a little bit too big for your britches."

That's the thought that came to mind this morning when I was reading a piece on the Washington Post's Web site. In his story Jonathan Weisman reports Democratic leaders have already drawn up an agenda - which they would introduce in their first week in charge - in the event they gain control of Congress this fall. Among their immediate goals - raise the minimum wage, roll back parts of the Republican prescription drug law and launch investigations of the Bush administration, including its use of prewar intelligence. A word of caution to the Dems - "don't count your chickens." (That was my grandmother).

GOP POLLSTER SAYS IT MAY BE TOO LATE TO PUT BUSH TRAIN BACK ON TRACK

Republican pollster Lance Tarrance says the Bush Administration may be history even before its term expires. As reported in today's Washington Post, Tarrance told reporters and political junkies last week that with Bush's approval rating so low, and with so many expressing strong dissaproval in the polls "if you want to be tough about it, the relevancy of this administration on policy may be over."

CHENEY FIGHTS BACK

If the Bush Administration has become irrelevant, Vice President Dick Cheney apparently didn't get the memo. London's Sunday Times looks at Cheney's Cold-War like speech chiding Russia earlier this week. The Times' Sarah Baxter reports the speech seems to be an attempt by Cheney to show HE is still relevant.

OH NO NOT THAT!!

While the Western world talks tough, threatening economic sanctions and stongly hinting at military consequences, German politicians are taking a different tack in trying to stop Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad from continuing his foray into nuclear development. The Sunday Times reports internal pressure is mounting on German Chancellor Angela Merkel to bar the Iranian president from entering the country to watch the Iranian team play in the World Cup football tournament, which is being hosted by Germany in June.

SPEAKING OF JOKES: HILLARY CLINTON WALKS INTO A CORRESPONDENT'S DINNER...

Sen. Hillary Clinton was among those to take a shot at standup comedy at last night's Legislative Correspondents Association dinner in Albany. Judging by the summary of Clinton's one-liners -- courtesy of JustHillary.com -- the Senator's routine was probably a hit with the wonky types who become statehouse correspondents. It's hard to pick a favorite (there were so few) but this little poke at former Masssachusetts Gov. Bill Weld - and herself - was not too bad.

"He lived in another state's governor's mansion. He thinks he can run for statewide office in New York. You know, really, the nerve of some people"

BUT SERIOUSLY FOLKS!

Markos Moulitsas, founder of the political blog The Daily Kos, has an Op Ed piece in today's Washington Post on Senator Clinton. Moulitsas argues in the piece that Clinton is too much of a Clinton Democrat to walk away with the 2008 Democratic presidential nomination.

Moulitsas argues Clinton and her advisors are too centrist on policy and their politics are too snooty for her to pull off a win in 2008. He argues that Clinton too often ignores her party's base, and the growing army of political activists who use the Internet as a catalyst for political action, opting instead to wine and dine the fatcat contributors. He writes of Clinton:

She seems ill-equipped to tap into the Net-energized wing of her party (or perhaps is simply uninterested in doing so) and incapable of appealing to this newly mobilized swath of voters. She may be the establishment's choice, but real power in the party has shifted.

Moulitsas argues that Clinton is the ultimate "insider" and that is precisely what the electorate is not looing for.

BUT SHE CAN SELL BOOKS!

Clinton's political enemies are a bit more concerned about the Senator than Moulitsas seems to be, and they are pounding away at their keyboards to try and stop, or at least slow, her 2008 presidential bid. In a story today, the Associated Press reports conservative authors have already penned 40 new anti-Hillary books.