Perhaps one of the more difficult problems in maintaining a blog such as this is lack of motivation. No one knows who I am or where this blog is and no one comments. It can be disconcerting and disheartening at times. Also, while many important topics exist in the world, I remain too under-educated about most of them and feel uncomfortable making a judgment about something I don't know.

However, there are two recent events that I feel pretty confident discussing.

First, was the Daily Show the only news source to mention the lack of solidarity among the republicans in the senate committee overseeing John Bolton's UN placement? Admittedly, a few days later there was coverage concerning the fact that he might not get in, but there was very little discussion why. I would have thought it an important note of the day....

PARTY LINES CROSSED!
PARTY DIVISIVENESS DECREASES AS REPUBLICAN RELUCTANTLY ADMITS NOMINATION MIGHT BE INSANE!!!

I'm willing to concede that my headline might be marginally slanted to the left, but it doesn't take a genius to realize that putting a man in the UN who hates the UN might not be the most brilliant idea. Forgive me for still thinking I might be fairly moderate on the issue when I say that such an action feels like one of a long string of surprisingly extremist moves. The concepts of extremism and moderation are, of course, subjective ones, but I really think I might be in the majority in this case.

Back to point. As has been pointed out before, the nation is currently very divided. As far as I am concerned, the reason for this is quite simple. The party of the president usually follows the lead of the president. President Bush didn't win the popular vote the first time around and only won it by a slim majority in the second go. Previous presidents in this situation tended to realize their predicament and attempted to moderate their more extreme opinions and political moves.

President Bush has not done that. Instead, extreme ideals are some of his more heavily promoted. The Republican congress doesn't mind this, because they like those ideals and it isn't as if their heads will role if things don't come out right, so they follow along, and they follow along with great solidarity. Meanwhile, minority Democrats recognize that a slightly conservative movement is going on, but refuse to accept the extreme conservativism proposed by the President, believing the general public does not fully support such action. Of course, they could be wrong, but in many cases I doubt it. Opinion polls over the past 5 years support this suggestion, save on the issue of war. However, even there, opinion polls are beginning to shift away from the President.

A shame that didn't happen 7 months ago.

However, much of that seems to be changing, now. Two factors appear to be pushing a major, if silent, swing in the Republican party. Bush's popularity numbers continue to drop. And Tom Delay, the man who, many believe, was the true engineer of the recent republican solidarity, is slowly falling out of power like a boulder rolling slowly off a cliff.

One of the first true signs of this action happened Wednesday or Thursday, the day What's His Face, R-Ohio, said that he did not feel comfortable giving his vote to suggest Bolton be confirmed by the Senate. A subtle but important chink in the armor of republican solidarity had been exposed. Perhaps it means nothing, and perhaps it is very important. If so, one of two things will likely happen.

The republican congress will maintain power, in which case they will find themselves becoming much more moderate, following the lead of McCain et al. Or the republicans will lose power. In that case, I really don't know what will happen.

Either way, I expect it will be very interesting.

TOMORROW (or whenever): a diatribe on how pissed off people who hate fat people must be about this latest report by the CDC.