A thought on the California recall election. Should, say, Darrell Issa, win in the recall, we can be sure that there will be a million Californians at least mad enough about the situation to recall Issa. In fact, it's so sure that you have to wonder, why wait? We might as well have those signatures ready for the very day they'll be needed, which means collecting in advance. Recall Issa now!

There's a reason why not: The outcome of this process would be a seething stew of competing recall drives which made it effectively impossible for state government to get anything done. This cannot be in the interest of anyone who favors good government. But plenty of Republican ideologues favor no government -- viz., for instance, Grover Norquist, who famously wants to strangle it in a bathtub. So for them, it's all good.

And then there are Republicans who just want power for themselves, at any cost, and may not be thinking ahead. In the words of Georgy "for gov" Russell,

Today our state faces a recall effort that stands as a right-hook to the already bloody nose of our democratic republic. Republicans who vigorously denounced as "undemocratic" the last minute replacement of Senate candidate Robert Toricelli before last year's election are now trying to replace a candidate after an election. Those who once attacked the do-as-you-please liberal culture have adopted that culture in full force, as long as it serves to increase their power.

Say what you will about Georgy, she makes a lot more sense than, say, Tom "French? Moi?" De Lay.