SARAHCUDA VS. THE PIAPS: SMACKDOWN IN THE SENATE

Did you know that Slow Joe Biden is up for re-election?  Yes, he's running simultaneously for Vice-President and the Senate.  You'd think it would have to be one or the other.

He's not campaigning much for his seat, as his Republican opponent is some right-wing small town attractive housewife no one every heard of.  Does Christine O'Donnell remind you of anyone?

Christine may become known as the Sarah Palin of Delaware soon, once the two join forces at a campaign rally in the Blue Hen state.

As you read this, every Republican House and Senate candidate in the country is begging for Sarah to campaign for them.  There's no way she has time to help out all but a small handful of House hopefuls, so she'll be concentrating on the Senate's.

For very good reason.  As Vice-President, constitutionally she'll be President of the Senate.

Jesse Helms once said he'd rather be Vice-President than President.  The VP is the chief presiding officer over the Senate, he explained, and as such, has the power to control the Senate agenda – who speaks or doesn't get to, what bills are voted on or tabled, etc.

It was his favorite subject.  If you ever asked him about it, he would talk your ear off.  He would tell you just how more powerful the President of the Senate was than the Majority Leader.  Then his excitement would die down and he'd shake his head in frustration that no Vice-President ever had the nerve to actually exercise that power.

So if he were still with us I can only imagine how excited he would be over Sarah Palin.

The Senate is now split even, 49R-49D with Independent Joe Lieberman caucusing with the Dems to enable Harry Reid to be Majority Leader.  The GOP has to defend 23 seats in November and the Dems 12.  With those odds, the Dems are dreaming of picking up enough seats to reach a de facto filibuster-proof majority of 60 (with RINOs like Maine's Olympia Snowe).

But watch McCain-Palin campaigning in swing states whose electoral votes they need – and as a two-fer, campaign for their Senate guy or gal:  Bob Schaffer (vs Mark Udall) in Colorado, Steve Pearce (vs Tom Udall) in New Mexico, John Sununu (vs Jeanne Shaheen) in New Hampshire.  They'll even pump up Richard Zimmer against octogenarian crook Frank Lautenberg in New Jersey.

Bottom line is that the Dems will be held to a net gain of only one or two seats.  Since Joe Lieberman will join a McCain cabinet (probably Secretary of State) resulting in GOP Gov. Jodi Rell appointing a Pub, and Dem Mary Landrieu may lose (to John Kennedy) in Louisiana, it could even be a wash.

A GOP Senate majority is, however, even more of a fantasy than a Dem majority of 60.  What's going to happen, then, when the Senate begins the 2009 session in January is that Hillary Clinton will emasculate Harry Reid and get herself elected Senate Majority Leader.

And there will be Vice-President of the United States Sarah Palin sitting above her as President of the Senate.  Welcome to greatest Senate Smackdown in history.

They'll both be running for President in 2012.  They'll wage a four year war against each other.  At some point, Hillary will realize that pantsuits, like all that she represents and stands for, is excruciatingly passé.  She is the past.  Sarah is the future. 

 Good morning, Sarah.  Good night, Hillary.  It'll be the best show in town.