After seeing some successful opposition activity on the other side of the building, House Republicans are finally showing some nerve.

Now, it seems to me the wise thing to do is prepare to keep the pressure up, and don’t let Lieberman-Warner slink back after some recuperation to spring up again after the lessons from this debate are forgotten. Go on offense. Defeat is only ensured by letting the alarmists define the debate, which they will be allowed to do if opponents sit back after this thrashing to await the next assault.

Like the proverbial horror-movie villain, this energy tax will return unless and until you drive a spike through its heart. You will find yourself suddenly with lots of Democrat company once you’ve made your case. Don’t listen to the hand-wringers on K Street — that is, among those few lobbyists left who have not just decided to try and make some money on the way down – insisting that things can only get worse later and so you’d better just give them half a loaf today because, if you’re nice to them, maybe they won’t come back for the other half.

Don’t listen to Sens. John Warner (on Cavuto yesterday) or Lamar Alexander (on Bloomberg Monday) spouting this unsupportable pap that “the U.S. is being left behind.” We’re leading the world – look it up.

Kill this bill — decisively. Kill it dead. Push on, damn the torpedoes, remember what Patton said about his flanks, etc. Try to actually win instead of averting defeat. That’s done by doing the right thing. You worry about your base questioning your seriousness? Well, that’s in your hands, not theirs.

Sermon over.