The rebellion against Mr. Lieberman was actually an uprising by that rare phenomenon, irate moderates. They are the voters who have been unnerved over the last few years as the country has seemed to be galloping in a deeply unmoderate direction. A war that began at the president's choosing has degenerated into a desperate, bloody mess that has turned much of the world against the United States. The administration's contempt for international agreements, Congressional prerogatives and the authority of the courts has undermined the rule of law abroad and at home.
Yet while all this has been happening, the political discussion in Washington has become a captive of the Bush agenda. Traditional beliefs like every person’s right to a day in court, or the conviction that America should not start wars it does not know how to win, wind up being portrayed as extreme. The middle becomes a place where senators struggle to get the president to volunteer to obey the law when the mood strikes him. Attempting to regain the real center becomes a radical alternative.
Lemme 'splain what happened yesterday in mechanics' terms: For almost six years, our country hasn't been runnin' right. It has deteriorated to the point that it's sputterin' and backfirin' and just not fun to ride around on. Matter of fact, it's embarassing to be seen on. Some of us noticed it right away, but most of us let it degrade to the point that it's now so obvious that it's runnin' so badly that it can't be ignored any longer and something has to be done. The diagnosis is pretty simple: Indifference, lack of maintenance, and constant abuse by the guys who hold the handlebars, whose motto seems to be "win or crash" as if it were their ride and theirs alone.
It's in the shop and up on the lift, finally.
What happened yesterday in Connecticut was the first rusty, frozen nut got broke loose, with a big screech. It's the very beginning of a complete overhaul.
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