Charles Krauthammer issued a stern warning to Democrats tonight: “Of course a lame-duck Congress has the legal authority to do anything it wants, but it's illegitimate.” Krauthammer explained:

It's a superannuated body. The people spoke on election day. They threw the Democrats out of the House. And yet this lame-duck session is still run by Democrats. A lame-duck session ought to be used only for doing the business of the country that has to be done. For example extending--having a continuing resolution which would allow the government to actually continue into next week and beyond, do the tax rates, and then stop. I think Republicans ought to argue on principle. The country has delivered a verdict. It elected a new kind of Congress, and it ought to be making the decisions on how the country goes.

Got it? Lame-duck sessions are illegitimate. The people have spoken.

It bears repeating that in 1998 Krauthammer urged Republicans to use a lame-duck session to impeach President Clinton - this just weeks after Krauthammer wrote that Republicans had lost seats that year in part over voter discontent with the GOP effort to impeach Clinton.