It dawned on me a few minutes ago, while listening to another Democrat calling for reduced rhetoric.
The answer is LEAD BY EXAMPLE, DEMOCRATS!
Instead of asking Republicans to tone down, Democrats need to do it first before any of us should stop. Let them admit they were wrong to start this fight and maybe we can get along better. Once they appologize to Sarah Palin, the Tea Party, Limbaugh and other conservatives maybe we will reduce our attacks of retaliation against them.
If they didn't have a double standard for us and the ability to lie when their mouths are open they would become an endangered species.