This trend is as disturbing as it is familiar, and worse than any individual instance of such craven capitulation, is the broader perception it creates. As the GOP further descends into the realm of its most maniacal Id, salivating over torture, summary executions, genocide, racism, and on an on, the Democrats' meek acceptance, rather than flat denunciation and ridicule, allows the average Fox News American to think that the new "center" lies somewhere between Mussolini and Pinochet. Worse, this leaves even the mildest reforms proposed by Democrats, whether on health care or taxation, way over on the "left," along with any hope of changing our absurdly self destructive foreign policy, dire financial straits, and embarrassing human rights record.

Every time the Democrats embrace the framing surrounding whatever bizarre outrage the Republicans and the Beltway Media have suddenly deemed Necessary and Serious, the delegitimize any meaningful change, and make the insane, disastrous, and plainly failing comic-book derived "War" into a permanent and malignant part of our political discourse.

At this point, the fact that most voters have rejected, and are indeed disgusted by, the direction the country is heading, seems almost beside the point... Republicans may have their flaws, but tolerating dissent and abandoning their base are not among them. Would that Democrats learn a thing or two from them.

When offered the choice between a Republican and a Democrat who acts like one, the public will choose the Republican every time.

I'm quite curious to see how this ruling plays in the MSM over the next few days. Given the attention to the the anti-amnesty group at Obama's website, the imminent vote in the senate, and a devastating rebuke from a Republican-appointed judge; the story is timely, consequential, and plays into the political"game" the media always obsesses over.

I agree with RMP and other commenters who see this as a face-saving opportunity for Obama to reverse his indefensible, unnecessary, and dumb acceptance of the Cheney/Rockefeller 4th Amendment Repeal and Criminals' Holiday Act of 2008.

When you step in a pile, what's the shame of scraping it off?

Any attention that can be drawn to this, via ads, calls, can only help.

Thanks, RMP, for putting it so clearly and succinctly. On his radio program, Thom Hartmann read the declaration of independence the other day, as Bill (formerly unemployable, until the NYT tossed him a lifeline) Kristol falsely claimed to have done, and hearing the damn thing, verbatim, brought tears to my eyes. There isn't enough Prozac in the world to make a true patriot accept where we seem to be going while the words of our brave and idealistic founders are drowned out by fascistic babble.

Like you, I still would like to believe that hearing the unadorned texts of our founding documents would wake America from its self-immolating stupor, but I'm saddled with doubt these days.

Although the constitution is indeed just a piece of paper, it's still worth reading.

Happy 4th, y'all.

I fully agree with DCLaw's point about the political potency of a decisive victory and the way such a win enables a President wider policy latitude. At first I blamed Clinton's fecklessness and capitulation on the minority victory, and Republicans unanimous tantrum about it.

But dog walker makes an important point, that doesn't quite go far enough, because it leaves out the Village Rules: 1) All Republican victories are stunning, mandate producing landslides, even when they lose. 2) All Democratic victories are freakish,unnatural accidents, wherein people only waywardly voted for someone, who certainly isn't (gasp) "liberal," for a welcome end to partisanship, even when they clobber their oppnent by double digits. Never is it even considered that the rubes actually voted FOR a bona fide Democrat.

In this climate, waffling on key positions, thereby abandoning any "mandate" for them, and alienating one's most committed supporters is nothing short of stupid, and renders any Democratic victor helpless to do anything worthwhile.

And the only thing worse than victorious Republicans is defeated ones.

Here we go again.

Little Brother... So now that the post-partisan VP list is shorter, do you think Alberto Gonzales and/or Tom DeLay are still available? Is Duke Cunningham out of jail yet? What about Larry Craig? That'd really be, uh, historic.

Ethics professor... Once you start, you can't stop. What about "Man on Dog" Santorum, who now has a substance named for him? (h/t Dan Savage)

That's my pick, but in a pinch, James Inhofe might be a good fit, too. Now that Obama's after the big donors, anyway.

And with that in mind, doesn't Alaska have some Senatorial talent that might soon be looking for work and free housing?

Post-partisanship is actually fun, when you start to think about it.

Bah...

I'd be happy to help any way I can; but even after removal of the blade, the wound remains.

Maybe it's cosmic irony, but just after I'd jokingly posted about Santorum, who evidently has some free time from his newly won job promoting laundry detergent, Sadly,No saw fit to honor the great man and potential VP prospect with an endearing tribute.

Check it out, since we're having fun here today.

T

Ethics Professor... That's it! Vlad the Dominator makes post partisanship really pop. Now we're past post-partisanship and really into post-ideology. We all know that Big Brother can't tell his rights and lefts through that glowing screen. Media manipulation and election fraud? Check. Silencing opposition through prosecution and intimidation? Check. Pasty, thin-lipped aryan combined with a little sexy American diversity? Double check. Tom Ford is probably overcome with jealousy at the art direction alone. Talk about Dream Ticket.

It's cloudy, cold, and dreary here on Park Avenue tonight. When you're offing those varmints, Bah, could you save the pelts? A summer fur would be good tonight for watching the fireworks.

Thanks, Kitt, for taking care of Sh**ter.... I know it's an arduous and fruitless task, but someone's got to do it.