Many senators and representatives who voted for President Obama’s failed economic stimulus program, as well as his proposals to nationalize the automobile, banking and health care industries, and an attempted energy industry takeover will go down to richly deserved defeats next Tuesday. Two local congressmen deserve special opprobrium for helping prepare the Obama Kool-Aid.

Reps. Steny Hoyer of Maryland’s 5th Congressional District and Chris Van Hollen of the 8th District are among House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s top lieutenants and were key cogs in her drive to jam one legislative disaster after another through the lower chamber. The results have been well chronicled in The Examiner and include nearly $3 trillion added to the national debt in two short years, layer upon layer of oppressive new government bureaucracy, continuing high levels of unemployment, and a stagnant economy. Pelosi, Hoyer and Van Hollen are also determined to impose huge tax hikes when the Bush tax cuts of 2001 and 2003 expire come Jan. 1. And Washington swirls with rumors this talented trio will try to slip legislative monstrosities like “card check” and the union pension bailout bills into law during the coming lame duck session.