Wolf in Sheeps Clothing

http://www.thecarpetbaggerreport.com/archives/13497.html

Steve Benen has a good catch on how Republicans at the US Commission on Civil Rights have been reregistering enmass as Independents. Why would they do this? Because the Commission prohibits more than half the members being from the same party. In the old days this meant when a Dem or Repub retired someone from their party was chosen by the President to replace them. But recently someone had the brilliant idea that when a Dem slot opened you could just fill it with someone who was a lifelong Republican that changed their registration a few weeks earlier.

Steve and his commenters bemoan how Republicans are cheaters. Personally, I think this is an amazing opportunity so long as the next Dem President doesn't wimp out and uses this to actually advance CR in the US.

One of my favorite movie lines is 'this ain't checkers, this is chess'. My biggest problem with Dems is that they chronically fail to see politics as chess - a game that takes long term strategic planning, not jumping at the nearest open piece. More importantly, there is no crying in chess. You play to win (enact your policies), not just to waste away an afternoon.

BTW, in case you are wondering the effect of this realignment on USCCR, I met their Director a few weeks back. Their number one issue I was told - ending campus anti semitism. I am sure it exists somewhere, but come on.