[hchutch]

But this guy is not as sympathetic as Carnahan was. This was a sleaze who bailed out, and now the Dems are trying to pull a "bait and switch."

Tell me, how many businesses would still have their doors open if they tried such a thing?

[mongrel]

The key is in the Republican reaction or the ability of the Democrats to manufacture a reaction. Look at the Demos playbook from a few days ago: Daschle took a line from deep inside the Washington Post to charge Bush with "politicizing" the debate on Iraq. It didn't matter if the quote was out of context, the important thing was that Republicans be talking about the right of Democrats to oppose the war and that the spotlight would be on the other Republicans who were against "free speech." Thus that's all the blathering we're hearing in recent days.

Same thing with Torricelli. Do something to create outrage among Republicans, do it right before the nightly news cycle so there's no Republican reaction, and spin the reaction before the next morning and the next night.

They perfected the playbook with Clinton's Monicagate, and haven't stopped using it since.