"Democrats just have to be meaner"

Singing the blues

One thing I have learned as a Democrat after the last election: Democrats just have to be meaner. The thing that struck me when watching the Republicans' reaction to just about anything in the days following the election was just how nasty their spin machine really was -- Jim Baker sneering the "rule of law" over and over, Republican governor pit-bull attacks on anything civil coming from the Democrats. They wore the American public down, plain and simple. The new Republican motto seems to be if they repeat it often enough, no matter how ridiculous the charge, it will be woven into the reporting and eventually the conscience of the public. The Republicans have become the bullies, and the Democrats need to learn that we can be just as tough, if not tougher.

-- Robert O'Malley, Philadelphia

Submit your own rant or favorite discussion to redvsblue@salon.com, or jump right into a Table Talk discussion, where Erik the Bloodaxe argues: "In other words, the red states are parasites on the blue states."

Anger management

Shots fired at White House! [Table Talk posting]
Ongoing discussion of the news.

Gore to Clinton: "You made me lose the presidency!" [Table Talk posting]
A Washington Post story recounts an ugly, post-concession scene between Clinton and Gore in which the two traded accusations. Poster Jim Coil can't accept it ("The Clinton/Gore diversions are Bush coverups," he writes), while Peter Green fingers Tipper Gore as the leaker ("She's furious at the Clintons ... and her husband for defending the Big Creep").

"Let these bums get real jobs!" [FreeRepublic.com posting]
Posters here react to a USA Today report announcing that Bush has "decided he won't keep White House offices on AIDS and race relations." Typical here is dennisw, who warmly writes: "GOOD. Let these bums get real jobs. Screw these leeches." Update: The Associated Press reports that the offices will stay open, after a "confused morning scramble."

Un-Presidents Day parties planned [Democrats.com posting]
"In honor of our un-president," says a poster here, "we hereby declare Sunday, Feb. 18, to be Un-Presidents Day! At 5 p.m., we invite all friends of Democrats.com and other progressives to gather in someone's home for a potluck party, or in a convenient place with inexpensive food and drink." Participants claim to have already gathered more than 100 parties.

Pros and Conasons [Lucianne.com]
A Joe Conason article in Salon raising questions about rumored Bush Solicitor General-designate Ted Olson drew its admirers, like Patricia Barille, who wrote: "Thank God for Joe Conason!" But Lucianne Goldberg was less impressed, launching a thread with: "After all these years of sucking up and degradation, the Clintons haven't even offered Joe so much as an Air Force One ashtray." And from there, the pack jumped in. A sampling:

Reply 8, posted by Young Republican, 2/6/01, 12:58:33 a.m.: Hey dumbocRATS! You lost! The newly elected president is a conservative and is going to appoint like-minded individuals. It's funny seeing these libs getting their panties in a bunch because W. is appointing conservatives. Who do they think he is going to appoint -- liberals?

Reply 10, posted by SurferDoc, 2/6/01, 1:00:34 a.m.: Hey Joe, you lost ... up yours!

Reply 12, posted by fade610, 2/6/01, 2:05:50 a.m.: You? You have the gall to talk about anyone else, you guano-brained zero! Crawl back under your rock -- the other slugs and maggots miss your company.

Tears for the Gipper [FreeRepublic.com posting]
In memory of Ronald Reagan's 90th birthday, someone posts Mark Joseph's essay from Breakpoint Online asking: "What is it like to be you these days? What do you dream about at night? As you recuperate from what is no doubt a confusing injury, what thoughts go through your mind? Are you thinking of the lives you saved in the Rock River? Acting in 'Kings Row' or 'Knute Rockne, All American'? Do you wonder who are the tall men in dark suits who constantly surround you? Are there moments over breakfast when you wonder who the slender lady with the sweet gaze is?" It's enough for Cordova Belle to respond: "Read this with a tissue handy. What a fitting tribute to one of our greatest."