EVEN WHEN THEY'RE WINNING, REPUBLICANS WANT REVENGE

To follow up on what aimai just posted, you have to see Republicans' trumped-up outrage at the possibility that the health-care bill will be named for the late Senator Ted Kennedy, as well as their declaration that his death will provoke a "Wellstone memorial on steroids," as payback for our side's criticism of the town hall shoutfests -- you go after our attempt to rally public opinion, they're saying, and it's right back at you.

Of course, our side hasn't been at all successful in stoking outrage at the town-hall disrupters or the lobbyists and right-wing noise machine shills who feed them talking points. But that's the GOP for you: even when you go for an eye and miss, they want an eye in return.

Also note: they're faster than we are. Limbaugh attacked any Democratic to name the bill after Kennedy nearly six months before Kennedy died. And "steroids" is a preemptive war on anything of a political nature any supporter might want to say in Kennedy's honor now -- the terms of the debate are set and if we mention Kennedy's top priority as a senator, we've crossed the line.

Of course, the way Republicans won the battle over town hall disruptions was by ignoring us and just doing whatever the hell they wanted. Would that work for Democrats? Maybe, although Republicans are far better at getting press centrists to clutch pearls and react in horror at our behavior than we are at theirs (even when theirs involves Hitler and loaded guns). Still, it might be worth a try.

Oh, and as for the naming of that bill, gee, I just can't imagine Republicans wanting to name things for a political hero, can you?