Representative Peter T. King, Republican of New York and chairman of the Homeland Security Committee, agreed: "You get your job done. You can't panic. Even though our poll numbers are going down, there's no great love for the Democrats, no great support."

There have rarely been more troubled times for the Republican governing majority. The DeLay indictment and President Bush's second-term slump in the polls come amid a host of challenges and problems in domestic and foreign policy, including rising gas prices, the furor over the government's response to Hurricane Katrina, and public discontent with the war in Iraq. They also face internal divisions over spending, the deficit and the importance of picking a committed cultural conservative for the next Supreme Court nominee.

Stalemate. The Republican consensus is that a majority likes neither party, so it is business as usual? That makes great sense.

Roberts generated no great love for either side because he was as close to a consensus nominee as we might see from this President. If he nominates a reactionary, there will be another potential Borking, and there should be. How will that help the Republicans? The prospect of an arch conservative on the Court logically "excites" many Republicans because that means they get to do unspeakable things to the Democrats. But, the Borking will be ugly, and the expected bloodletting will not help the Republicans, even if the nominee squeaks by, like Thomas did. And, if it goes that way, the President will likely be harmed, not helped, by his further proof of lack of good judgment. He's already a lame duck with one wing missing.

"Looking for help for re-election in '06?" "Maybe not in my district Mr. President."

For all the Republicans' bullishness, much of their agenda has clearly fallen by the wayside, notably the attempt to overhaul Social Security.

Remember those ads on CNN, MSNBC, and FoxNews the Republicans put out months ago about Democrats supposedly bad-mouthing the President's Social Security plan and rheotically asking "what plan do the Democrats have for Social Security?" I used to yell at the TV when I saw those ads since the Republicans had yet to even come up with a plan for Social Security for the Democrats to criticize. Maybe the Democrats were criticizing the lack of a plan for Social Security?

How stupid do they think the average American is? Apparently pretty stupid. Like the "death tax" that effects less than 1% of all estates. Karl Rove didn't get where he is underestimating the lack of commonsense of the average American voter.

The Republican Spin Machine lies. The closest thing to the truth are the candid admissions in this Times article.

If Bush names Prado to the Supreme Court, I promise to give him a pass, right up until he screws up again.

Pray for Prado, the perfect nominee. That would help Bush and the country. The two concepts working together, however, are foreign to Republican sensibilities.