Democrat debate

"Let me share with all y'all somethin' I've never shared with nobody before!"

John Greenleaf Whittier said: "For of all sad words of tongue or pen, The saddest are these: 'It might have been!'"

Apparently John Greenleaf Whittier didn't see the Democrat debate last night. Because...

"The War on Terror war is a political slogan, a bumper sticker, that's all it is." (John Edwards)

And...

"Bill Clinton is needed in the Middle East." (Bill Richardson)

...are some sad, funny, yet pee-your-pants scary words.

I'm sure there were more, but I was in and out of the room when it was live and our DVR missed chunks early and later on.

I did catch Dennis Kucinich's open call for Socialism in health care, Chris Dodd flipping out every five minutes in a Ron Paul-like bid to be noticed, and a rousing debate on what the Democrat field considers the biggest challenge facing America -- discrimination against gays in the military. Because were losing way too many Arabic translators through "don't ask, don't tell," said Clinton.

Quite the Twilight Zone situation when Joe Biden is the least insane dude in the room -- Hillary included. (No insult. Hillary's testosterone levels are five times John Edwards', and she'd be the first to tell you.) Though I did enjoy Biden's tales of riding along with every military unit in action from Tora Bora to Baghdad. I half expected to hear about the time he road a MOAB bomb rodeo-style into Afghanistan like Slim Pickens.

I actually feel really good about 2008 after seeing this titanic display of disconnect with reality. I just don't see America falling for it. We're suckers, but God help us if we're this dumb. As down as I am on empty-suit John McCain, even he comes off genuine after this.

P.S. -- John Edwards is running neck and neck with Hillary for "Most Likely to Irreparably Damage the Country" after this news last week. Because anyone who can creep out John Kerry is bad medicine.

I'll quote The New Republic's article to make it credible to my liberal readers. Speaking is Bob Shrum, "the famed consultant to a string of Democratic presidential candidates, including Al Gore in 2000 and John Kerry in 2004." From his forthcoming book, No Excuses: Concessions of a Serial Campaigner.

"[Kerry was] even queasier about Edwards after they met [to discuss teaming up for '04]. Edwards had told Kerry he was going to share a story with him that he'd never told anyone else--that after his son Wade had been killed, he climbed onto the slab at the funeral home, laid there and hugged his body, and promised that he'd do all he could to make life better for people, to live up to Wade's ideals of service. Kerry was stunned, not moved, because, as he told me later, Edwards had recounted the exact story to him, almost in the exact same words, a year or two before--and with the same preface, that he'd never shared the memory with anyone else. Kerry said he found it chilling, and he decided he couldn't pick Edwards unless he met with him again..."

Kerry, of course, was ultimately cool with having a nutter like Edwards aboard.

Republican debate is Tuesday night, 4 p.m. PST.