[Dales]

Time will tell. Believe me, I understand that risk.

I am very resentful of the fact that now I have to once again weigh every position I take against the pragmatic reality.

For once, I would like to be able to put my faith and efforts behind someone who actually cares about what they say they care about.

Right now, my perspective is that if he doesn't feel a backlash against this very stupid maneuver, if he expects blind support from the right because the threat of the Democrats is so bad, then he is more likely to make more decisions like this.

There was no reason for him to capitulate on this. And if he gets the support of people like me anyway, there will be no reason for him to think twice about doing it again.

This sucks, all around.

[hchutch]

Thank Jim Jeffords for a lot of it. Thank the third-party types who helped Harry Reid beat John Ensign in 1998 and who siphoned enough votes from Slade Gorton to give Maria Cantwell that Senate seat in Washington.

That probably kept us from winning two Senate seats. Had we taken Reid's seat, and had we kept Gorton in, then I think it is safe to say this would not have happened.