I want to call this a palate cleanser, but it’s so acidic — especially his memory of the sign in Newt’s office on the Hill — that it’s more likely to burn your tongue. Can’t use it as evidence of the upswell in conservative anger towards Newt after his MTP appearance either, I’m afraid: Coburn is a Gingrich critic of loooongstanding, which makes this less of a standard “what happened to Newt?” lament than a bitter “I told you so.” To follow up on an earlier analogy, it’s as if Coburn jumped into the ring, pushed Drago aside, and started punching Apollo in the face himself. Brutal — yet amazing.

He’d be pleased to know, I think, that Nancy Pelosi and the left are willing to meet his challenge and produce a plan of their very own. That plan: Ruinous complacency followed by bankruptcy and fiscal catastrophe. Gosh, I hope she gets to be Speaker again someday.