Partial Birth Abortion Ban Follow-up

I once remarked to a friend that being a Democratic voter these days fell somewhere between battered spouse and abandoned child. Melodramatic? Yes, but it was right after the 2002 midterm elections. That was a bad time. Wellstone had died. The Senate Dems had been MIA for the entire year before that. Can you blame me for playing fast and loose with my analogies?

In a way what's disappointing about the Democratic Party is what's disappointing about the United States. A great platform, a wealth of ideas, so much past accomplishment and unseen potential, and yet at times a spectacular failure at protecting the very values it claims to hold dear. This is what makes it hard to write of the Party despite its (many) mistakes. It's still a good idea and we still have some good representation out there (Note to self: email Senator Durbin to thank him).

In about two weeks we will be a year away from Election Day 2004. The question that keeps coming up on blogs I read isn't always "Can they win?" Sometimes it's "Do they deserve to?" The answer to that questions changes depending on the bills that pass through Congress. The Democrats should pay heed to that.