Riding the Tiger is EasyIt's getting off that's a little tricky. The
New York Times writes on the Democrats dilemma on Roberts:
The party's liberal base, whose contributions during judicial confirmation fights earlier this year have helped the Senate Democratic campaign fund amass twice as much as its Republican rival, is pressing for another vigorous fight against Judge Roberts as documents from the Reagan administration clarify his conservative credentials.The Lefty bloggers seem to want a fight no matter what the cost. Over at the Daily Kos, we can see why with this post on a
litmus test for candidates:
Does candidate 'distance himself' from the party and/or its leaders, or is he proud to be a Democrat?
Does he talk like a bureaucrat or like a regular person?
Does she make it clear that she opposes Bush and the Republicans?
Does she back down when the corporate press/media or Republican pundits attack him, or does she stand by her words?
Does he sleepwalk through the campaign, or does he act like he wants to win?Note particularly that there are no issue litmus tests for Kos; instead it's all stylistic. One suspects that the key test is the middle one, the one about opposing Bush and the Republicans. Note
particularly that Paul Hackett, the darling of the Left, violated two of the other tests: He avoided identifying himself as a Democrat, and in the last few days campaigned rather listlessly.
Captain Ed has
more on this theme:
The centrists have tried mightily to maintain some distance from the radicals but cannot afford to lose them or their fundraising abilities, regardless of how the Republicans fare in the polls. This has led to a complete abandonment of message, as the two cannot agree on strategies for a single, coherent Party stance on issues.
