Who's In Charge Here, Anyway?

Above: Boehner, McSame and Preznitman direct the GOP caucus to vitctory.

So who's in charge of the Republican Party right now, anyway?

It's not Preznitman. He promised Armageddon if the bailout failed, and we're still here. Besides, the rest of the party hates him, he's at 26% approval, and the Dow closed lower yesterday then it was at when he took office 8 years ago. Bush doesn't exist as far as his own party is concerned. He's poison.

It's not McSame. He threw his weight behind getting the bailout passed as an opportunity to show his "leadership ability." Now he's floundering badly. Right now he looks like a lame duck Senator, not a Presidential candidate. Sarah Palin is a caribou around his neck and Obama is opening a wider and wider lead on him each day.

It's not John Boehner. Ohio's favorite crybaby looks like a complete idiot. He's been unable to fufill the basic House Minority Leader function -- arm-twisting for votes 101 -- and now word is that his total failure may cost him his position in the party leadership. He's seen as weak and ineffective now, and the sharks are already circling for his spot.

It's not Mitch McConnell. The GOP's Senate Minority Leader is in serious danger of losing his seat, much like Tom Daschle did for the Dems. He was locked in a dead tie with Democratic challenger Bruce Lunsford for his own Senate seat right now in Kentucky...and that was before he threw in his lot behind the bailout, unlike his fellow KY Republican Jim Bunning, who came out in strongest possible terms against it. Now McConnell's running scared.

So who is it? AG Mukasey has named a special prosecutor to go after Attorneygate. Condi's got her hands full with India's nuke deal and Pakistan's new President. Hank Paulson looks like a complete scrub right now. Nobody's in charge.

Obama on the other hand is large and in charge with concrete ways to improve the bailout.

dday has more over at Digby's, as does Chuck Todd.