Tenderly wiping tears of regret from his choir-boy eyes, Senator Daschle informs us that the economic “stimulus” bill is dead. He just doesn’t see how either side can come up with the sixty votes needed to pass it.

Never mind the disingenousness of the remark (even arcane Senate rules still allow bills to be passed with a simple majority, if it can get to the floor). What the plurality leader is really saying is either that he doesn’t want it to pass, or that he lacks sufficient control over his own caucus to bring it to a floor vote. If he wanted this bill to get to the floor, he is perfectly capable of making it happen. If not, one has to question his leadership ability.

Not that I care. I do in fact think that no bill is better than this one. I’d just like to see a smidgeon less sanctimony and duplicity from our “leaders.”