Three truths.

I've laid off the furor over Brian Baird's adoption of the 'we broke it, we own it' approach to Iraq, not because I agree with Rep. Baird, though his argument, while wrong, isn't irrational. Nope, it's just that I remember Linda Smith and don't for a minute believe that WA-3 couldn't go that way again. Russell Shaw reminds progressives...

There are three truths about Rep. Baird the NetRoots tend to forget.

First, he is on your side on most of the issues: an environmentalist with a thoughtful conscience, pro-choice, pro-labor, pro-public education and more.

Second, you may think he was "brainwashed," but I'd argue that brainwashing is rarely successful with someone of his particular professional qualifications and persuasion. That'd be Brian Baird, Ph.D. in psychology.

Third, although the Washington Third District leans slightly Democratic and Baird got 60 percent of the vote last time, this is still a swing district. Beyond the hip areas of downtown Vancouver, Wash., and the quite liberal enclaves of Olympia (where Rep. Baird is from), the district is full of small towns full of gun-loving, pious Republicans who listen to Rush, Sean Hannity and Lars Larson. These are people who only love spotted owls for dinner, have doubts about evolution but no doubts that Saddam was in on 9/11.

On balance, he's on our side. For those who think the recent ruckus at his town hall meeting in Vancouver demonstrates potential for a more resolutely anti-war primary challenge, well, it's not only fairly easy to gather up a couple hundred folks to shout down most anyone who stands for most anything, it's also profoundly illiberal to do so.

There are better targets. They're called Republicans.