INSTIGATING LOGIC
By JARED PUTNAM

This week Massachusetts Senator John Kerry drew fire from Republicans and veterans alike after a "botched joke" in which he told college students to make an effort to be smart, otherwise they would get stuck in Iraq.

Not surprisingly it took all of about four and a half seconds for the White House to jump on the blunder like Rush Limbaugh on a bottle of pain killers.

It isn't what Kerry said that bothers me, because I don't think he meant it the way it came out. The strong Republican response doesn't shock me either, as it is to be expected in this week prior to election day. After all, I think it's fair to say the GOP could use a boost this year.

What really bothers me is that no matter how many softballs the national Democratic party is lobbed, they have spent the past several years striking out. This has to be considered a do or die year for them. If they can't gain ground this year, what is it going to take?

They had chances two years ago, as Howard Dean looked like a strong candidate for the presidency only to see his support derailed in one bizzare rant. That speech was a microcosim of the problems the Democrats have had with blowing opportunities.

But this is a new year, one in which we have had high profile scandals from Republicans like Tom Delay and Mark Foley. We have also seen that while apples may not fall far from the tree, most of the Republican apples have fallen far from the Bush lately. Not only did they fall far from President Bush, I think they then rolled down the hill, fell into a stream, and got carried a few miles downriver.

While many Republican candidates wore comparisons to President Bush like a badge of honor four years ago, most are now avoiding him

like a plague, dodging his support the way Al Gore's campaign run shyed away from President Clinton following the Monica Lewinsky scandal. The main reason being that they think America now spells "Bush" I-R-A-Q. In some political races, Democrats have even used campaign ads to compare their Republican opponent to President Bush.

But again, it remains to be seen if any of this matters. Did Kerry blow a golden opportunity? Who knows. But I don't think he helped himself with his reaction to the criticism toward his comments. Either way, the national Democrats may need to do more than hope people are disgruntled enough to give them their vote.

Granted, President Bush is no longer saying "stay the course," explaining that was never really an accurate description in the first place, that the course was always being modified to combat the insurgency. But many Americans are still not quite sure what that course is, or where to find it.

But the Democrats don't seem to have had much luck plotting a course of their own though, mostly lobbying voters to accept the idea that anything is better than the current setup. Whether that is true or not, it inspires about as much confidence as choosing the lottery as your financial planner. Some better detailed ideas of reform might be preferable.

I guess my main hope is that things will become more balanced in our government. Because if there is one thing we have learned over the years it is that if any given party grows too strong, they seem to get too comfortable, falling under the impression that they can do what they want and their party will cover their tracks. If you have a better balance of power, each side has to make a better effort to keep their noses clean.