I'm so busy these days, it makes my hair hurt. But when things slow down a little (probably around spring break), one of the things on my to-do list is to head right down to the elections office and switch my party affiliation to Republican.

You see, with Howard and Hillary taking the controls of what was already a spacecraft in a downward spiral, the Democratic Party has no chance of calling the shots on federal public policy for many years -- probably a decade. So rather than waste time marching around spouting this and that "progressive" pronouncement -- which, although valid, has no chance of winning majority support -- I'd rather become a Republican and work to moderate that party's views from within.

One problem with this plan is what's happening in our own Beaver State. Here, the Demo's are currently in power, sort of, and it seems a shame not to be in with the winners. Granted, there's a lot not to like in the way those winners operate, and whom they're beholden to, and that's enough to push me away. But their GOP opposition is on a serious downward track of its own, due largely to the fact that its rudder is stuck at hard right. And while we're ahead, the last thing we lefties need to do is to moderate the Republicans.

If the best they can do is Kevin Mannix, though, they're no threat, and that's a good thing. On balance, the Blue Agenda for Oregon looks safe for quite a few more years. So the Democrats around here will be fine without me.

And besides, the feds are the big fish to fry. Social Security, war, taxes, birth control, establishment of religion, and don't forget, they've got Four More Years, at least, to come up with new stuff. For example, wait 'til you see what the Freedom of Information Act looks like after Mr. Rove and Justice Scalia get through with it. Yikes.

I've got to become a Republican and try to talk them out of it. But not a Rush-Lars kind of Republican. More like Bob Packwood without the unwanted tongue kisses, or my buddy Jack Roberts.