But what's of more interest is that the Democrats' party line with regard to the upcoming election is becoming clear. Last weekend, Eric Holder, the former Reno Justice Department deputy and currently head of the Democrat's "election task force", made a revealing comment to Chris Wallace on Fox News. He said, "If all those who want to vote are able to vote and if all of their votes are counted, John Kerry will be elected president." Today Paul Krugman said similarly, "If the election were held today and the votes were counted fairly, Senator John Kerry would probably win." In other words, if Kerry loses two weeks from now, it will be because the Republicans cheated somehow.

What does one say to this?

We think the Republicans need to get over their tendency to take the Democrats as worthy counterparties for a reasonable discussion of these issues. In fact, the Democrats are a bunch of jerks transitioning from permanent majority status to permanent minority status and are behaving badly. The return of civility will have to a wait a new generation of Democrats bred to be proper minorities. Remember the inanities of the Ev and Charlie Show (after Sen. Everett Dirksen and Rep. Charles Halleck) on which they would appear at weekly press briefings and joke about their political impotence as the Republican leadership in congress?

Can anyone imagine Daschle and Pelosi ever doing this? No way! The Democrats need new leadership that accurately reflects their new political role and status.