It's one thing

When "The Opposition" is in change.

When there is disagreement, and a fight over values, but respect. When you can approach your opponent with "namaste" in your heart.

An honorable contest between honorable men, where the terms of the debate are constantly being renegotiated.

That's one thing.

It is another thing entirely when The Enemy is at the helm of the Ship of State. When you realize that there is literally no depths to which the people in charge will not sink to hang onto power.

That finally, unconstrained by even the memory of a conscience, there is literally nothing they will not say or do to amass power for power's sake

Ted Kennedy seems to get it (h/t Crooks and Liars):

There are 146,587 terrorist supporters living in the state of Connecticut according to Vice President Dick Cheney — the number of Ned Lamont voters.

He claims they’re encouraging "the Al Qaida" types who want to "break the will of the American people in terms of our ability to stay in the fight and complete the task" in Iraq. Cheney’s gone too far. His disgraceful declaration of war on Ned Lamont supporters is an attack not just on Democrats, but on democracy itself.

We can’t stand by while Republicans like Cheney slander the people of Connecticut and millions of other Americans nationwide who are showing up at the polls to reject the failed record of the Bush Administration.

I thought you might like the opportunity to send your own message to the Vice President. You can send it here:

Cheney wants people to believe that anyone who questions the Bush Administration’s misguided policies is in cahoots with the terrorists.

But the facts are clear.

The Administration’s extremist agenda has drained our resources and stretched our troops. This made the war on terrorism hard to win and made America more hated in the world.

The American people want more than vicious fear-mongering from our leaders. They want realistic policies, accountability for failures, and — most of all — a new direction for America.

It’s time for Dick Cheney to admit he went too far. Demand that the vice president apologize for his offensive remarks.

Let’s recognize a few truths: Lamont voters did not allow Osama bin Laden to escape in the mountains of Afghanistan.

Lamont voters did not mislead the American people into war with Iraq.

Lamont voters did not refuse to admit their mistakes. They did not vow to "stay the course" while more and more Americans die and Iraq descends into civil war.

Dick Cheney and Republicans of his ilk disrespect the very nature of our democracy when the results are inconvenient for them. But despite this unprecedented grab for executive power, they don’t have the ability to decide elections.

The vote in Connecticut proves that free and open elections still exist — and millions of Democrats around the country are ready to go to the ballot box in the coming months and put America back on track.

It is one thing when one's honorable opponent is at the wheel, but when an enemy of democracy squats and shits in the People's House, it is a terrible thing to see.

Because in the slightest breeze, their onionskin mask of civility rots away


and they reveal their true selves

in all their virulent evil.