HEWITT AND HITCHENS PLAY PING-PONG

Interesting exchange between Hugh Hewitt and Christopher Hitchens on Hugh's radio talk show this afternoon. When I tuned in on my commute home, Hitchens was (in his exquisite and authoritative, though slightly tipsy English accent) being indignant about comparisons between the Iraq war and the Vietnam conflict: to wit, "I resent" the comparisons, said Hitch. ("I resent?" Does Hitch have some ownership and/or vested interest in the Iraq war?)

But then it got cute. Hewitt was obviously sure he could enlist Hitch as a fellow traveler in the "Fear Nancy Pelosi and the Democrats winning the House" campaign.

Wouldn't Denny Haster be preferable to Nancy Pelosi as Speaker of the House? Hugh asked. Hitch sidestepped. Is she qualified to be two heartbeats from the presidency? Hugh asked. Hitch said, what's qualified? Hugh asked Hitch if he was scared of a Speaker Pelosi. Hitch replied that he had called for Denny Hastert's resignation. Hugh asked Hitch if he'd prefer Nancy to Denny. Hitch said he'd demand a revote. Hugh tried to pin him down. Hitch said he wasn't sure she was qualified to be a representative of the "great state of California."

So Hugh switched tactics. Isn't Hitch scared of a Democratic Congress? Hitch rambled linguistically, he hasn't yet counted out the Republicans' retaining the House. Finally Hugh tried to pin him down, saying something like, "Wouldn't you fear a Democratic House?" at which time the closing music of the segment segued in. Hitch replied in the vein of "Sounds like your music is punctuating your point."