The passion of the dems

What a magnificent fight the democratic senators on the Foreign Relations Committee put up today. Tonight I'm savoring the hard-won victory for common sense over party line idiocy, but I wanted to put up this comment from Steve Clemons, who's taken on the job of point man for all business Bolton.

Joe Biden, Dodd, Boxer, Feingold, Obama, Bill Nelson, John Kerry, and Paul Sarbanes did a herculean, magnificent job of showing what minority opposition OUGHT to look like. I think we have all been waiting for a principled victory -- and not something that has looked like concession before the fight had even begun.

I'm proud of all of them, but particularly of John Kerry - because he is my senator, because he never seems to get credit for the good work he does, and because his passionate protestations against Lugar's attempted railroading were the ones I heard loudest and clearest.

One more thing. All of you out there (and you know who you are) who are not satified with anything less than 24/7 open revolt from the dems in Congress should take note of what Voinovich said when he pulled his support. He mentioned the respect he has for Joe Biden. Kerry's outraged remarks were not about the nominee himself - they were about Lugar's disregard for the committee's charge and process. As much as I hate what is going on now in our government, I hope someday we'll return to a balanced at-least-two-party government. To get there these senators will have to maintain respect for the process, even if respect for each other is too much to ask.