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The former (and, to emphasize, these include many of the left and of the Democratic Party) more or less accept the idea that the world has radically changed and that policies and politics, and the public debate that advances policies and politics, must change too. The latter prefer, for various reasons, to stick with the policies and politics and debate that obtained prior to September 11.

One would presume that “the latter” according to Michael Kelly are the Republicans. He says we are the ones who don’t accept the fact that the world has changed? Compare Bush’s statements about the threat to not only our citizens on our own soil and the entire western world to Daschle’s unending questions about a compelling reason to attack the main hotbed of terrorism. Daschle is the one who hasn’t changed the rhetoric. He employs the same old Democrat partisan spin that whatever the Republicans believe is right and necessary is wrong and must be attacked... to heck with national security. I would love to see one Democrat say that we are in grave danger and something decisive needs to be done.

Finally, and most important, the spectacular implosion of the telecom bubble and the related collapse of the media-synergy bubble, combined with the related nightmare on Wall Street, have naturally resurrected one of the oldest and most popular conversations in American politics. We are back in the beloved land of Powerful Interests giving The People a right royal screwing, aided and abetted by a government of Corrupt Politicians that those Interests have bought with their Ill-Gotten Gains.

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You cannot blame the Democrats for wanting to stick with a script, and an ending, like that one, and you cannot blame them for seeing in the present moment dramatic potential of the highest order. WorldCom! Enron! Five trillion dollars in paper wealth wiped out in less than two years! On the watch of "The MBA President"! Now, there's a Whore of Babylon you can get your teeth into.

“On the watch of the MBA president???” Oh, please. The cooking of the books began well before Bush took office, and Clinton is the one who set the precedent that responsibility for actions could be subverted by delay and spin. The economy under Clinton was one big bubble that had to burst. He got out just in time. It was headed south before Bush was elected.

Michael Kelly is just one more liberal media spinmeister.