The Queen vs. the Scream

What does it say about the Democrat Party that Hillary Clinton's one of the few Donks to have praised the Iraqi elections?

While top Democrats continue to downplay the impact of the historic Iraq elections on Sunday, New York Senator Hillary Clinton has taken an early step to set herself apart from the naysayers.

In a statement posted to her Web site two days before the vote's smashing success, Clinton said: "No matter what you think about the Iraq war, there is one thing we can all agree on for the next days. We have to salute the courage and bravery of those who are risking their lives to vote and those brave Iraqi and American soldiers fighting to protect their right to vote."

"They are facing terrorists who have declared war on democracy itself and made voting a life-and-death process," the 2008 presidential contender declared. "We hope this vote succeeds and pray for a safe election day."

Now consider this for a moment. What did Mrs. Clinton really say here? Did she endorse the Bush Iraq policy? Is she a "neocon" now? Of course not. She just made a token gesture of goodwill toward the people of Iraq, who unquestionably displayed uncommon courage in taking firm control of their own national destiny.

The notion of Hillary being the "smartest woman in the world" crossed the cliche threshold years ago. But these days, when the two senators from Massachusetts, for example, alternately pour cold water on and eviscerate Iraqi democratic ambitions while even Kofi Annan and Black Jacques Chirac are offering up kind words, well, how smart does anybody have to be to sew up the inside track to the next presidential nomination of a Party that has lost its collective mind?

Donks need to pass out the brown paper bags and breathe deeply into them for about the next six months. When they're done, they need to stop and consider that there's such a thing as effective political opposition, and part of that is being, well, politic when the circumstances call for it.

Instead, they're going the Dylan Thomas route, not going gentle into that good night, raging, raging against the dying of the light, and about to make Howie Dean their party chairman.

Meanwhile, the Clintons want another eight-year lease on the White House.

Talk about the irresistable force meeting the immoveable object.

Or at least until Hillary decides to stop fooling around. Then Dr. Demented will learn more than he ever imagined about the terms "spoon position" and "Jimmy Hoffa."