It looks like at least one, unnamed House Democrat will be making an effort to turn the public's focus once again on the NSA surveillance program if Air Force Gen. Michael Hayden is named to succeed Porter Goss at the CIA. According to Time magazine, the anonymous Dem (and there's no reason given for granting anonymity to this individual) is promising "a partisan food fight." Why? Because as Time reports, Hayden is "a visible and aggressive defender of the administration's controversial eavesdropping program."

Someone might want to mention to the "House Dem" that the Senate does the confirmation stuff, not the House. Have Democrats so quickly forgotten that the vast majority of the American public, when polled on the program, strongly support it? The last time they started with this stuff, they gave Bush's numbers a boost. Do they want to do it again right before the midterms? Do they really want to remind the coveted independent voters that Democrats can't be trusted on national security issues?

To quote Sen. John Kerry quoting President Bush: "Bring it on!"

For those who are interested in scandal, the New York Daily News is reporting that Goss' departure may be tied to poker parties, prostitutes and former Congressman Randy "Duke" Cunningham.

If the allegations prove true, that could certainly hurt Republicans in this year's midterm elections. However, Democrats too are facing scandals with Reps. Alan Mollohan and William Jefferson. Rep. Nancy Pelosi's "culture of corruption" schtick will likely gain her little when the next congress rolls around. Why would Pelosi get tossed out of office because Jefferson? Likewise, why would Speaker Denny Hastert get tossed out because of Cunningham? Politics are local, and poll after poll, year after year shows that even while voters may be unhappy with Congress as a whole, they like their own congressman. If only they could just vote out people they don't like, regardless of who they represent.