Having fun as the opposition

James Wolcott: From Some Lemons No Lemonade Can Be Made:

"On Meet the Press, Senator Charles Grassley was as grumpy as could be trying to defend Bush's Social Security overhaul, while Congressman Charlie Rangel batted its bogus numbers and claims around with buoyant sarcasm. I detected in Grassley the frustration of being forced to "sell" a program whose costs and contours were still completely amorphous--an expanding blob. That frustration expressed itself in a testy defensiveness that molded a frown to his face. On another program (Wolf Blitzer's?), Senator Pat Roberts, never a laughing cavalier, was a pissy sour pickle on the subject of Iran, while Jay Rockefeller sounded like a model of modulated enlightment. And on Face the Nation, Rick Santorum, an empty suit that will flaps with each movement of lips, sputtered and floundered on the SS issue, while Dick Durbin seemed to be enjoying himself a heap.

I wonder if Dems are learning the wisdom imparted by Bull Moose, that there's mischievous and useful fun to be had in being the opposition party, particularly when the party in power is as flatulent with hubris and corruption as the fiefdom of Tom DeLay. Dems should resist the temptation to be statesmenlike and bail out Bush should he stumble, the way they shamefully rescued Reagan in his second term. Bipartisanship has gotten Democrats nowhere for four years, has earned them nothing more than a fine spittle of contempt falling like a constant drizzle. They should let a smile be their umbrella as they enjoy the spectacle of House and Senate Republicans promoting Social Security privatization as if they'd been ordered by their commander in chief to suck lemons."