Readers of “National Review Online” may be familiar with the “Krugman Cat Index,” a humorous take on how New York Times columnist Paul Krugman reacts to good news about the economy. The story goes that Krugman, a liberal, violently abuses his cat when hearing news of an economic recovery, knowing it’s a boon to President Bush and his reelection chances. Surely, after last week’s announcement by the Commerce Department of a 7.2 percent growth in the GDP, Krugman’s poor cat finished its ninth life.

House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi pouted, “Bush has the worst record on job creation since Herbert Hoover” and “Mr. President, where are the jobs?” If Pelosi’s staff supplied their boss with better news clippings, she might have been informed that last week the Labor Department announced that jobless claims fell again. It was the fourth week of claims below 400,000, an indicator of recovery. September witnessed the creation of 57,000 jobs, the first addition of jobs since January.

The necessary question is: Why is any of this bickering important? The Democratic Party has been out of dominance in American politics since 1994. That was the year of the “Republican revolution” that took the House of Representatives for the first time since President Eisenhower. The party’s leadership is eager for power again, in an almost maniacal fashion. It would have the American economy suffer if it betters their chances for retaking the presidency or Congress. Unfortunately, any news about the economy’s movement toward recovery is unwelcome.

The hierarchy of the Democratic Party, quite apart from most of its rank and file members, desires power above all. As most Americans quietly go about their lives, so-called “leaders” like Pelosi, Senate Minority Leader Tom Daschle and Democrat National Chairman Terry McAullife eagerly press for more control of the American lifestyle. Instead of booing progress in the economy, they should cheer the prosperity that Americans are blessed to have and work to ensure that the economy can prosper in the months and years ahead.

Collar is a freshman political science and economics major.