Zell Miller now seems like a long-shot as a potential Democratic defector. And other moderates like John Breaux simply aren’t going to jump ship, period. Not gonna happen.
But there’s more than one way to skin a cat.
What about Bob Torricelli?
No, I’m not saying he’s going to switch parties. But what if he gets indicted? One of the first things a prosecutor does in a plea negotiation with a crooked pol is try to force the pol to resign his or her office. (The acting Governor of New Jersey is a Republican.)
And who do the US Attorneys work for? Right, John Ashcroft. And who does he work for … ? Well, you get the idea.
I grant you this may sound a touch conspiratorial. And if the Bush folks were inclined to play hardball at that level they’d have to build in a lot of “deniability.”
But you don’t have to believe in the possibility of any shenanigans to realize that the possibility of Torricelli’s indictment has just become a very, very weighty issue with immense and immediate political consequences. And even if such a decision were made by the straightest arrow career prosecutor the decision couldn’t help but be seen in a deeply political light.