St. Jack: God's crusader to take Him out of Washington

The Episcopal priest who presided over the funeral of Ronald Reagan, former Republican senator, and leader of battle to put Clarence Thomas on the supreme court says that the Republican's close relation to religion "makes the party seem exclusive" and "makes American politics meaner."

Danforth has written quite a bit on the subject, and it would be a good idea for liberals to work hand and hand with men like Danforth (who are becoming more numerous as the days pass) if they intend to bring more reason and less fireworks to Washington.

Not saying it's going to happen, though, because the only thing that liberals can agree on right now is that they disagree with Republicans. Democrats should call themselves the "Anti-Republicans," seeing as that is the only thing that seems to define them.

This anti-Liberal rant, brought to you in part by John P. Avlon:

Accidentally shooting a party fundraiser and then delaying telling the press: Regrettable.

Intentionally shooting down the career of one of your party's rising stars: Really stupid.

Vice President Cheney's hunting accident last weekend struck a nerve not just because of the inherent sensationalism of a second-in-command this side of Aaron Burr firing a gun at someone, but because for critics it served as a microcosm of the administration - insularity and incompetence resulting in people getting hurt.

But when Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee leaders Charles Schumer and Harry Reid decided to pull the plug on the U.S. Senate campaign of Iraqi War veteran Paul Hackett, they unwittingly encapsulated the reasons why Democrats have been unable to capitalize on a hailstorm of Republican mistakes over the past year.

Democrats don't seem to understand that politics is perception and that campaigns need to become crusades in order to succeed.

Hackett's candidacy in Ohio directly addressed the Democratic Party's deepest weaknesses - military credibility and red state resonance.

When will democrats realize that most republicans don't even like Bush but wouldn't vote for a democrat because they don't think democrats have any direction. Not to mention that democrats have let the republicans label them godless, baby-killing, anti-Americans who will turn your children into fags and dykes if they don't keep vigilant eye out.

Technorati tags: Religion, liberals, politics, globalization, Danforth, Fundamentalists