Strategy

For the past 40 years or so, Republicans have opposed every Democratic initiative, hoping to pick off a few "moderate" or "conservative" Democrats to vote against their party. They reason, correctly, that Americans will figure that if the Democrats can't stand up to a bunch of wheezing old fart bed-wetters, how in the world will they stand up to our real enemies.

That Blanche Linclon, Ben Nelson, and Mary Landrieu haven't figured this out yet is one of life's enduring mysteries.