Beyond the Dome

If ever there was any doubt that congressional Republicans are taking a back seat to John McCain and Sarah Palin in this year’s election — a seat way in the back — they were just erased by the speeches given by the party’s two top campaign operatives.

Rep. Tom Cole of Oklahoma, the chairman of the National Republican Congressional Committee, and Sen. John Ensign of Nevada, the chairman of the National Republican Senatorial Committee, had the jobs no one really wanted at this convention. They had to go out and try to get the delegates excited about trying to take back the majorities in the House and Senate, in a year when no one really thinks that’s possible.

In fact, even Cole really didn’t seem to be into it. He looked half-asleep as he walked the delegates through the standard House Republican talking points about gasoline prices: that House Democrats decided to take a five-week paid vacation rather than vote on their “all of the above” energy plan.

“No wonder Congress’s approval rating is at 9 percent,” Cole said, apparently referring to a Rasmussen Reports survey last week that found likely voters’ approval of Congress had dropped to single digits.

Silence from the crowd.

Cole tried again, this time bringing McCain into the equation. “Our strength in congressional races this year rests at the top of the ticket,” Cole said. “Americans admire John McCain’s courage and support his leadership. The harder you campaign for John McCain, the better our congressional candidates will run.”

More silence. (In fairness, many of the delegates were still filing in. Maybe they just weren’t paying attention.)

A little later, Ensign took the stage. “Are you as fired up as I am?” Ensign called out to the delegates. They weren’t.

But Ensign tried anyway, rallying them with a speech about the way Ronald Reagan inspired the “Republican Revolution” of 1994 — the year Ensign was first elected to the House — and how the cause of freedom would be lost if Republicans don’t take back the majority in the Senate.

“Do you want a country more dependent on Middle Eastern oil and crippled by higher gas prices? Or do you want a country with its own innovative energy supply?” Ensign asked. “Do you want judges who legislate from the bench? Or do you want judges who strictly adhere to the Constitution and our laws? And most importantly, do you want those who do not understand that there is true evil in the world to dictate our foreign policy? Or do you want to continue to stand up to radical Islamic extremists?”

And then, the big closer: “That is why we must work to take back the majority in the United States Senate.” Weak applause.

“We must work to make Sarah Palin our next vice president.” Stronger applause.

“And we must work to elect John McCain our commander in chief.” Strongest applause.

It can’t be easy to live in the shadow of the national ticket. But when Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell goes around saying Republicans aren’t going to take the Senate back, even the most partisan delegates have a good grasp of reality.