Best Indication That Brighter Days Are Ahead

Saturday Night Livealum and George W. Bush impersonator Will Ferrell may have said it best: "Presidenting is hard." Well, if a January speech by Missouri Governor Bob Holden is any indication, lawmakering is pretty hard, too. It seems a number of newly elected Republicans in the Statehouse were confused by the sounds coming from Holden's mouth at the beginning of this year's legislative session. They vigorously applauded initiatives championed by Democrats while virtually ignoring ideals forwarded by members of their own party. According to the Star's account of Holden's State of the State address, "The mix of proposals seemed to befuddle many House Republicans, 56 of whom are freshmen.... When Holden proposed a cut in the corporate tax rate, only a few Republicans clapped. But they stood and cheered when the governor proposed $600-a-year raises for most state workers."