You can tell an election is just right around the corner by this summation Greg did:

* Are Senate Dems going wobbly? It appears that Senate Dems may abandon the idea of holding a vote on extending the middle class tax cuts. Incredibly, the thinking is that a vote is unnecesesary because the lines on this issue have already been drawn clearly enough.

As one Senate aide put it: “By the president being out there and individual members talking at home, it’s clear where the lines are drawn in this debate, and you don’t need the vote to cement that.” As if more clarity on an issue where the public clearly sides with Dems would hurt! Apparently a final decision may come today.

* Et tu, Steny? And over in the House, it looks like Steny Hoyer may be the lead culprit in urging House Dems not to be aggressive in framing the choice between the parties in the runup to the midterms.

This “do-nothing” attitude typically doesn’t work out well for the leading party, especially in a time when people find Congress highly ineffective. If we had some real leadership, right now would be the time to really push some popular items through, like letting the Bush Tax Cuts for the top 2% expire. Sadly, as we have seen with this Congress, strong and decisive leadership is like Saddam’s WMD – just not there.