hottubtom1.jpgHot Tub Tom longs for the days of — well, himself:

DeLay told Yeas & Nays that Republicans in Congress are “looking for something to believe in” and “they’re not getting it out of this Republican leadership. … The leadership just isn’t getting it.”

“They’re looking for some backbone,” said DeLay, who also chimed in on the 2008 election. He said the Republican party is “going to get our clocks cleaned in 2008″ and unequivocally said that “Hillary [Clinton] will be the next president.” Which ought to give DeLay’s newest projects, the Coalition for a Conservative Majority and a consulting firm called First Principles, LLC, plenty to do.

I’m sure there’s a whole new generation of Republicans just aching to be educated in the fine art of strangling people with their own shoelaces.

DeLay gave us is his dour assessment at a book party for former U.N. Ambassador John Bolton, which was held at the Georgetown home of former Republican National Committee Chairman Ken Mehlman. The party was a virtual “who’s who” of the conservative movement: Lynne Cheney, Liz Cheney Perry, Scooter Libby, David Keene, Vin Weber, Grover Norquist, Barbara Comstock, Armstrong Williams, Mary Matalin, Ramesh Ponnuru, John Fund, Byron York and Kate O’Beirne.

Well, they do call Washington DC “Hollywood for ugly people.”

But, lest you think that The Hammer is about to start playing for the other team, he did poke fun at New York Times columnist — and favorite conservative punching bag — Paul Krugman: “I’d like to bitch-slap him.”

Ah, that fine-tuned, subtle DeLay wit. How we’ll miss it:

DeLay also ruled out another stab at politics, even if GOP fortunes reverse: “I’m 60 years old, I’m through.”

You know, I’d like to believe it, but frankly I’m just not that lucky.

Elsewhere around the party: Mehlman called Bolton “the Atticus Finch of the United Nations.” Mehlman said he sees similarities between the Finch character in “To Kill A Mockingbird” and the famously pugnacious Bolton, praising Bolton for always “earnestly making his case.”

I think I’ll go all concern-troll too and say that a good swift ass-kicking is exactly what the GOP needs in 2008. They could obviously use a bit more time to read.

(via Krugman, graphic by Monk)

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