Coming in Sunday's 'NYT': Top Republican Compares Party to 'Dog Food,' Raises Questions About Palin

Coming in this Sunday's New York Times Magazine: A profile of a former "star in the Republican party," Rep. Tom Davis of Virginia. As the heading has it: "Now, like dozens of his GOP colleagues, he's quitting Congress, fed up with his party, his president and the process."

In other words: "Tom Davis Gives Up," the Times puts it.

The article by Peter Baker fashions Davis as "moderate" who is outraged by super-partisanship and the "social conservatives" who have "hijacked" the party. Davis's favorite line about the GOP is, "if we were a dog food, they would take us off the shelf."

Mocking an average day of meaningless bills before Congress he quips, "tell them about the important work we're doing while Rome burns." Baker (who met Davis 22 years ago) comments: "After 14 years in Congress, Tom Davis is giving up his place in the bucket brigade. Someone else will have to put out the fire. If anyone wants to try."

Davis calls the McCain-Palin ticket "a marriage of convenience. What are the negatives? What about her resume? I got through it in about 10 seconds. Does that hurt? He's the guy running on experience...And she's a heartbeat away." She does help with the "change" issue, he adds.

And aptly, in light of the start of the baseball playoffs, Davis, 59, cracks: "You know, the Cubs fans used to put the bags over their heads. That's what I feel when you say you're from Congress, because there are just so many things we're not doing."

The article points out that 26 Republicans are stepping down this year compared to only six Democrats. Many of he GOPers are moderates. "There's no question, we're a dying breed," says Rep. Jim Ramstad of Minn.

Davis on the current financial crisis: "Nobody keeps an eye on anything unless it hurts the other party."
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Greg Mitchell is editor of Editor & Publisher.