Dem Columnist: Are We Driving Off a Cliff?

Joel Connelly, liberal Dem columnist at the Seattle Post-Intelligencer, is back to his more typical form with fresh warnings for his own side: cool the extremism quickly or risk being out of power for a generation.

The new cautionary advice comes after observing a weekend meeting of the Washington State Democratic Central Committee:


(Joel Connelly- Seattle Post-Intelligencer)

Sen. Edward Kennedy, D-Mass, called for an immediate pullout of some U.S. troops after the Iraqi election and a timetable for withdrawal thereafter. On "Meet the Press" yesterday, Kerry indicated that a timetable would be a bad idea.

A war-trashing mood prevailed here Saturday. (Congressman Jim) McDermott went so far as to quote Nazi Reichsmarschall Herman Goering on using external threats as a device to control public opinion. "It's the same tactic," he added, alluding to Bush on terrorism.

Nominating a losing challenger to state party Chairman Paul Berendt, delegate Barbara Allen declared: "From being the high hope in the world, America has become the enemy."

The Democrats will be a long time in opposition if they succumb to such thinking.