READER RICHARD RILEY SAYS REPLACE PELOSI WITH RAHM EMANUEL:

Not only do I agree with the Washington Post, Katie Granju, and plenty of other fellow Obama supporters whom you’ve linked to that it’s time for Pelosi to go – the partisan point-scoring during the bailout vote was just the last straw – I also think it’s time to get a groundswell going for her replacement: Rahm Emanuel, not Hoyer or Clyburn. Emanuel is partisan in a good way, liberal enough for the House Dem caucus as a whole but as an old Clintonite acceptable to New Dems and Blue Dogs, and MUCH more politically savvy and, frankly, more humane than Pelosi. Even Republicans, if they are realistic about the fact that the House and Senate will remain Democratic, should start plumping for Rahm since a functional House of Representatives is in the country’s interest regardless of who becomes President.

Interesting idea.

UPDATE: Another reader — weirdly, also named Richard Riley — emails:

Would you please forward to the other Richard Riley my thanks for making me look good to my co-workers?

I agree with him, but would go farther than plumping for Emanuel. Republicans should unite behind Emanuel, and try to peel off 16 dissatisfied Democrats to vote with them. It wouldn’t matter if Pelosi held an overwhelming majority of the Democrats – if the GOP could grab 16, they could pick the next speaker. It would be a big step toward genuine bipartisanship – a speaker that owes his seat to both parties.

Plus, it would be great fun.