TOSS THE DYING... Over at The Corner, Kate O’Beirne and Rich Lowry report on conversations they’ve had with different (I presume) GOP operatives. The analysis, or perhaps the spin, that these operatives are putting out is that in assessing endangered House Republicans, it’s important to distinguish between the “stupid members” and the “tested veterans.” The former category includes people caught up in scandals of their own making, like Don “I didn’t choke my mistress” Sherwood, or members who simply didn’t prepare well for the coming storm. The latter includes veterans like Heather Wilson and Clay Shaw who have faced tough elections in the past and gutted them out. Point being that because of these veterans’ proven track record, the GOP may have more of a shot at holding onto the House than the numbers right now are indicating. I don’t know if I believe this analysis, but it’s an interesting distinction, if for no other reason than the toss-the-dying-out-of-the-lifeboat tone of it all.