He Drives The Republicans Nuts. Again.

Last time I checked, Republican congressfolk from the Northeast were almost as rare as hen's teeth. The party has no House members from New England, has lost three seats in Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Maryland, and has only three seats In New York state.

Oops! Make that two seats with President Obama's nomination of Representative John McHugh to be Secretary of the Army.

The selection is a win for everyone except the GOP. McHugh, as the ranking member of the House Armed Services Committee, is well positioned to run the largest service branch that finds itself stretched to the max in fighting two wars.

McHugh's district is in far northeastern New York and demographically is effectively a New England seat that might be the Democrats' for the taking in a special election.