Feingold and Kennedy might have been on the "right" side of the vote about Iraq, but they have and will make other mistakes.

It's ridiculous to imagine that an elected official won't make a mistake. It's chilling when elected officials claim they don't make mistakes, can't name their mistakes, or can't acknowledge their mistakes.

Far better to practice saying, "Yeah, that was a mistake, and I regret that, and here's how I learned from that." For one thing, it's an opportunity to learn why a candidate thinks the original decision was a mistake. Was it a mistake because the war in Iraq has gone badly or because the war was wrong and stupid to begin with? We know where some candidates stand. Why not the others?

Owning mistakes: It's part of a group of skills that make up what's known as "adult behavior." How is this so hard for everyone except Edwards?

If Bush is even marginally successful at diverting attention to this issue, expect "protecting the sanctity of marriage" to appear on a future Gallup poll. Or even "protecting our civil right to deny U.S. citizens the right to marry," thanks to Tony Snow's recent deft-yet-daffy articulation of the issue.

The Bush administration is excellent at creating diversions. More bad news coming out of Iraq? "Hey, look at this issue over here!"

And it WORKS. It worked with Al-Qaida -- "Hey, we can't find Osama bin Laden; let's bomb Iraq!" Most recently, it worked with immigration/illegal aliens -- always an issue, but never a "Top Priority" issue until a few weeks ago.

If this guy were your father or grandfather -- with his self-righteous and bigoted views about human rights on display for the world to see -- how open would you be about your sexual orientation or your toxic marriage?

I grew up in Oklahoma, and some of my family still lives and votes there, and no one in the recorded history of my family has ever voted for Jim Inhofe. Furthermore, no one in the recorded history of my family has been a senator.

He could not be more proud of his family than I am of mine. Maybe I'll make a pie chart and give C-SPAN a call.

Can you beleeeve this? Cuz, like, I was, like, in CHARGE of the committee and all, and I was chattin' up the boys on our side of the aisle, and I was, like, cuttin' some DEALS, and I was going to kick some serious investigator butt. It was smooth, and it was cool, and I was, like, LEADing, I HAD the VOTES. You know?

And then that skank, that VEEP-hole, had the nerve to GO BEHIND MY BACK, and he called EVERYbody, all our boys, and they all quit TALKin' to me, and that just SUCKed, cuz I'm, like, you know, the CHAIR? You know, in CHARGE? Like, the LEADER? And who is he? Just, like, some veep-hole. I mean, is he a CHAIR? of a, you know, COMMITTEE?

And THEN, I'm, like, wacked OUT, cuz he was all, "MMM, don't SEE you," and I was walkin' RIGHT BY HIM on the way to the FOOD, like, with my tuna salad triangles and boiled eggs. And he was all "fake smile," it's ALL good, we're all smart DUDES here, and he was, like, LYING. Behind my back! Not even to my face! Or, you know, anyway, he was LYING.

And I'm all, DUDE, I'm tryin' to LEAD here, you veep-hole. But it's like, no VOTES! And now it's just, WHATEVER.

The Republican Party, especially with Bush as spokesmodel, is successful because these people know their audience. They know what the Home Audience wants and they deliver that.

The Home Audience doesn't do nuance any more than Bush himself does. The Home Audience wants a good Story. They want a heartwarming saga in which heroes may go through a little hardship and shelling, but the world is put right at the end.

Not a drama--no MacBeth or Julius Caesar, where leaders make arrogant mistakes and receive their just punishment. The Home Audience can tolerate a Story in which only the correct characters learn only the correct lessons. The "bad boy" teenager grows up to become a sober young man and business leader. The book-smart officer is humbled by the homespun practical wisdom of the "simple" boys in his platoon. The patriotic young woman serves near the front lines, is wounded and captured, is rescued, and returns to civilian life. But the leader, the Decider, is exempt from learning. Instead, he demonstrates Strength of Character. He goes through a dark moment but his resolve never weakens, and he brings justice to the world. Thanks to him, evildoers are killed.

The Home Audience understands Story. The Home Audience does NOT understand facts. Facts are confusing and contradictory. They don't fit the Story.

Sidney Blumenthal and many other capable political analysts and writers can point out inconsistencies, lies, and treachery all they want. They can write of young people dying, civilians killed, and prisoners tortured.

But if they want the Home Audience to notice, they'd better start writing a Story.