Will Democrats show true selves in McCrery dispute?

The dispute concerning the qualification of U.S. Rep. Jim McCrery to take his seat in the House finally has reached its proper venue. How it gets resolved will test how much national Democrats would like to obscure their true agenda.

Republican McCrery’s Democrat opponents claim he is not a resident of Louisiana, and thereby not entitled to be seated in the House even if duly elected. He did take the oath of office but the House can unseat him (or any member on these grounds, by a majority vote now held by Democrats) at any time.

His case will test the Democrat assertion, already being contradicted by their pushing through their legislative agenda without any discussion (in contrast to the Republicans’ 1995 Contract with America package that was fully debated), that they mean to be more transparent and bipartisan than the Republican majority they replaced. If they really meant this, McCrery’s case will be dismissed in short order, for his residency practices in this case are no different than many other members.’

But congressional Democrats often have shown they inhabit a world out of touch with real life and the American public. Many refuse to acknowledge the reality that they grabbed more seats in 2006 not because people supported their liberal agenda, but because they rejected the Republicans’ moderate direction, as indicated by the content of the agenda they will try to ram through in the next couple of weeks.

And, they have shown a past willingness to force their preferences onto the very electorates they claim to represent. In 1984, the Democrat-controlled House literally stole an election for themselves in Indiana’s Eight District. In all their hubris and disconnection to the American people, they may think they can do it again in the case of McCrery.

Any protracted disposition of this case, much less a usurpation of power by unseating him and calling for a new election, will help to uncloak the false veneer of the Democrats and reaffirm to a public partly fooled by their electioneering that they do not promote the best interests of Americans.