s chairman of the House Republican Congressional Campaign Committee, it is my job to ensure that my party expands its majority," writes Virginia congressman Tom Davis in Sunday's Washington Post. "But I do not wish to accomplish this task on the backs of D.C. residents."

That's awfully big of him, but we suspect Davis neglected to make this point while he was campaigning a year-and-a-half ago for the job of NRCC chair, the House Republicans' fourth-ranking leadership post. There he was on the pages of the Post, however, accusing the GOP of being on the wrong side of "fairness and justice" for not embracing a constitutional amendment to give D.C. residents a vote in the House.

Granted, as head of a House subcommittee on the district, Davis may have to make certain pro-D.C. noises from time to time. But in this case his views run directly counter to his job as NRCC chair. (And it probably sits rather poorly with California Republicans, coming as it does right after the NRCC's decision not to fund a ballot initiative to take redistricting out of the Democrats' hands in that state.)

"Some of my colleagues presume that, if they could, D.C. residents would 'automatically' elect a Democrat to the House. That may or may not be the case," writes Davis, who apparently thinks he would have a real shot at pulling the new D.C. seat into the GOP column.

"Congress could reexamine calls for D.C. statehood," he continues. "We could carve the Federal Triangle out of the District and hand the rest back to Maryland. Or we could allow D.C. residents to vote with Marylanders both for two senators and a House seat. Or, we could permit D.C. residents to vote for a House member only, and perhaps allow them to vote with Marylanders in Senate races."

We're sure Maryland Republicans love that idea. Here's a modest proposal of our own: Why not let D.C. residents vote in Virginia's 11th congressional district, currently represented by Tom Davis? The District very nearly touches it already — and Davis appears confident that the right kind of Republican can win there.

We nominate him: Davis for Mayor.

TNR Watch
The latest issue of the New Republic has an article arguing that the Republicans need to move left (click here for our rebuttal). In a fine demonstration of even-handedness, the magazine also runs an article arguing that the Democrats need to move left. Sounds like the magazine is taking its own advice.