Please Nancy Don't Hurt 'Em

David Weigel | January 2, 2007

Tired of the eye-roll-inducing theater of the Ford funeral? Check out the eye-roll-inducing theater about to take place in Congress.

In a "Dear Colleague" letter circulated to fellow Republicans, three House GOPers are trying to push a "Minority Bill of Rights" -- based on a two-year-old proposal by then-Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-CA). You can read the letter here.
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An ironic case in point: When Pelosi made her proposal to protect Democrats in 2004, GOP House Speaker Dennis Hastert (IL) refused to entertain the idea, let alone reply to her correspondence.

The whole document is up at Talking Points Memo's fantastic Muckraker site. Unless Democrats are as stupid as everyone thinks they are, don't expect them to consider this. The GOP minority is on the record planning to "make the Democrats be Democrats," or force the majority to vote on wedge issues that will make life awkward for their conservative members. For example: "This is a nice health care modernization bill you've got. And it would look even better with this amendment posting 'Life Begins at Conception' posters in every hospital waiting room."