A pre-emptive coup yesterday kept Republican California Congressman David Dreier from replacing Tom Delay as House Majority Leader. Slate’s John Dickerson writes that hardliners in the GOP opposed the leadership’s plan to “effortlessly slide David Dreier, the silky-smooth California congressman” into the position. The LA Times notes that conservatives thought of Dreier as “squishy” on social issues and rejected the man that AP called a “Different Kind of Republican.” Do you think the mainstream media was trying to say something beyond Dreier being interested in “filling Delay’s slot”? MORE »