Fear, the Present Danger
Debating doomsday for Congress.

By John J. Miller & Ramesh Ponnuru
October 18, 2001 3:20 p.m.

big question on Capitol Hill this week is: "What if Congress were incapacitated by anthrax?" On Monday, the American Enterprise Institute plans to raise the ante with a seminar called "What If Congress Were Obliterated?"

In a Roll Call column, AEI's Norman Ornstein (who will moderate Monday's discussion) argues that the Constitution isn't prepared to deal with a terrorist plane flying into the Capitol Building and wiping out hundreds of lawmakers. Governors might appoint new senators in short order, but many state laws require long delays before special elections might be held to fill House vacancies. Ornstein worries about "a skeleton crew that is highly skewed in regional or partisan composition" using the opportunity to pass new laws.

It's a smart column in some ways, but a bit morbid: Sort of like a family dinner conversation turning to what the kids should do if Mom and Dad die in a car crash. There are things that might usefully be said, but dwelling on the topic may cause more worry than it's worth. And who really thinks that a rogue band of politicians would outlaw guns or abortion because they saw a small window of opportunity?

As matters stand, the Constitution's rules about quorum are sufficient — perhaps not perfect, but surely good enough. Appointing a task force to study the doomsday scenario, as Ornstein suggests, is also not the step Congress should take right now after Wednesday's confusing and demoralizing evacuation.

Anthrax is nothing to sniff at, but fear is an epidemic, too. We're already seeing plenty of symptoms.

Daschle vs. Gephardt
Tom Daschle's decision to reverse course on what he apparently told House leaders Wednesday morning — i.e., the Senate would join the House in adjourning — must be understood in the context of Democratic party politics. Today Daschle looks like a fearless statesman: His office infected by anthrax, but the majority leader forging ahead with Churchillian resolve. House minority leader Dick Gephardt, on the other hand, saw himself branded a "wimp" on the front page of today's New York Post.

Both men a potential candidates for the 2004 Democratic presidential nomination — and one of them just smeared a pie in the face of the other.