Argh! Democrats!

Senator Jon S. Corzine, the multimillionaire banker who personally financed his own Senate victory four years ago, is under intense and competing pressures. Democrats in New Jersey are urging him to intervene in the state's political crisis and run for governor, while Democrats in Washington are pushing him to fulfill his commitment to lead their efforts to raise campaign cash and win back control of the Senate.

...Democratic members of the Senate leadership have reminded Mr. Corzine that he accepted a job as head of the Democratic Senate Campaign Committee and is expected to see it through....

But in New Jersey, Democrats who are eager to end Gov. James E. McGreevey's bid to hold onto office until Nov. 15 are maneuvering to persuade Mr. Corzine to intercede.... If Democrats can persuade Mr. McGreevey to step down by Sept. 3, there would be a special election in November with the winner serving the remaining year on his term.

--New York Times

Argh!

Look, I could understand this desperate desire to change course and pull Corzine back from Washington immediately if New Jersey voters were now repulsed by Jim McGreevey. But they aren't. His poll numbers went up slightly after the announcement, and opinion on when he should leave office -- now or in November -- is evenly split.

And what's the rush? Even if public opinion turns sour, McGreevey could change his mind, leave office as early as September 4 -- less than three weeks from now -- and still not trigger a snap general election that would require Corzine to ride to the rescue.

And Democrats really could win back the Senate.

But no. We're Democrats. We can't help it. We have to be at odds with one another. We have to tell reporters that we think our plans are bad. We have to seem desperate and guilt-ridden.

Argh!