THE THUGGISH TIMES
Tom DeLay "is addicted to the thuggish tactics of the Gingrich era," according to the New York Times. He "is playing a devious game." His offense? Continuing to advocate the impeachment, and oppose the censure, of President Clinton - which is to say, sticking to the position the New York Times took until November 20th. As Dan Seligman points out in today's New York Post, until then the Times had insisted that censure could come only after Clinton admitted that he had lied under oath. Otherwise, the Times said, "we are prepared to see the impeachment process through to a resolution."

The November 20 editorial, on the other hand, announced that censure was "the correct remedy unless new evidence emerges." Suddenly Clinton's "misconduct," which had previously been held to endanger "the rule of law," wasn't such a big deal (since it "did not occur in the context of national security or the misuse of key agencies," which sounds like an insult to the Secret Service). Clinton's removal from office would be a "trauma" the nation should be spared; on Sept. 20, we were told that impeachment "need not traumatize the nation."

It's an editorialist's prerogative to change his mind, and the Times's reluctance to admit that it has done so is understandable. But personally attacking DeLay for doing exactly what the Times said should be done under these circumstances isn't very sporting. And the Times appears to understand it doesn't have a strong argument. Hence, right after the "thuggish" passage, the Times accuses DeLay of "blustering" for saying that censure "means nothing." The Times's devastating rejoinder: "It is pure hogwash to say that censure means nothing." Oh, o.k.

DeLay should take the Times's bluster against him as a badge of honor.

MCCONNELL BEATS HAGEL
As expected, Republican Senators voted on Tuesday to let Sen. Mitch McConnell (R., Ky.) keep his job as head of the National Republican Senatorial Committee, the chief fundraising position for GOP Senate candidates, with a vote of 39-13. McConnell faced a feisty challenge from Sen. Chuck Hagel (R., Neb.), who showed courage in mounting the only campaign against the current Republican Senate leadership.