And when I say 'Senate,' I mean 'me.'

It's another one of those Republican maxims: Whatever they say, the opposite is true.

Trent Lott made some statements on the no-confidence vote to be held in the Senate on Gonzo's predicament, saying the purpose of the Democrats' resolution was "to put some people on the hot spot." He called introduction of the resolution "a very disappointing spectacle."

"We ought to summarily punt this out to the backfield where it belongs," Lott said. "This is beneath the dignity of the Senate. How low will the Senate go? If we get into this, for hour or days, pity how much it will debase this Senate even further."

You might recognize a no-confidence vote as something that isn't terribly uncommon in other republics. You might also recognize a political party's willingness to decry one of their own when he turns out to be an inept, law-breaking toadie as a sign of a healthy democracy. The sort of sign that lends dignity to a law-making body.

UPDATE: Surprise! The GOP managed to hold together enough of their own to prevent the embarrassment of having to admit that they'd rather have criminals in office than admit their fallibility. And who decided to give them a hand? Why, none other than Joe Lieberman! Still, the seven Republicans who took the extraordinary step of not displaying total cowardice deserve a mention: Arlen Specter, John Sununu, Gordon Smith, Norm Coleman, Chuck Hagel, Olympia Snowe and Susan Collins.