Why, exactly?

This remark by Jazon Zengerle has been kicking around in my note cache for a couple of days...

Because it seems as if every day is "Whack John Kerry Day" here on The Plank...

Why would that be, Jason? What's the point? And what does it say about The New Republic these days? Of course, TNR is hardly the only contestant in the Kerry whacking sweepstakes. Kos, for instance, is a frequent player and lowgrade grumbling things like the frequency of JohnKerry.com email is widespread.

The particular offense in this case seems to be that a career politician with political ambitions used political contributions to his Political Action Committee in a way that might be viewed as being to his political advantage.

In other news, early today a large yellow object appeared in the east.

John Kerry may or may not be the next nominee of my Party. I may or may not want him to be, when the time comes to make that decision. In the meantime, there's no sense in denying that John Kerry is a leader of the Democratic Party, and in the eyes of many, the leader. After all, more Americans have voted for John Kerry than for any President in American history. He continues to raise millions of dollars, whether for his own PAC, Democratic candidates across the country or various relief efforts and progressive causes. There is no advantage to the Democratic Party, or to any Democratic campaign, to have John Kerry's stature, and thus his effectiveness on behalf of Democratic candidates and a Democratic agenda, diminished.

So why do it, over and over? Why treat it like a joke, or some point of perverse pride?

Why isn't, for instance, every day "Whack John McCain Day"?

The old question is still a good question.

Which side are you on?