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Interesting watching the "dog chasing its own tail" on other blog sites as the MSM has created the buzz and excitement of an impending election that was a foregone conclusion a month ago to readers of sites like AmSpec and RedState.

For us, the only question was the timing and how late into January the Republican caucus and its leadership felt they could hold on.

It may be that Rep. Roy Blunt has built up enough goodwill in the past two months to have the "interim" removed from his leadership title. But as we have pointed out before, one reason Blunt's star was tarnished to begin with was damage inflicted by then-Leader Tom DeLay. There has been no reconciliation. DeLay is still influential in the caucus and will do everything he can to ensure Blunt is not given what DeLay feels his colleague should not have to begin with.

John Boehner -- his K Street credentials and friendships aside -- is right now in a slightly better position to take the leadership mantle. There is a clear sense that many in the caucus want change and Boehner is enough of a change to suit those seeking it, while presenting a more stable, presence than some of the young bucks who are agitating for radical reform.

Boehner goes back to the old House Banking Scandal days, when he, Rick Santorum and Jim Nussle were integral to keeping that story alive for months. Boehner is the last of the gang in the House with enough stature to grasp what many of them had their sites on back in 1991 and 1992.

If there is one winner to identify already, it's former Rep. Chris Cox, who surely would have been thrust forward as leadership fodder this time around. From his perch in his shiny new SEC Chairman's office, he must be breathing a deep sigh of relief.

topics:
John Boehner