The first weeks of the new presidential administration have been, predictably, dark ones for Democrats.
John Ashcroft, who has a record as far to the right as anyone today and who many go so far as to consider racist, is now attorney general.
The wheels of governmental funding to religious organizations have been greased.
The executive offices on race relations and AIDS are in enough danger for a White House spokesman, although in error, to go on record to USA Today saying they would be eliminated.
Naturally, this leaves Congressional Democrats in a foul mood. So foul, in fact, they are even attacking a leader from the far left, Ralph Nader.
Democrats blame Nader for the narrow defeat of Al Gore, believing most Nader voters, were the Green Party candidate not running, would have voted for Gore.
One congressman even attacked Nader for having sold out his constituency.
Ironically, this is the very thing Nader and the Greens have accused the Democrats of for years. Had Democrats stood up for the left as strongly as Republicans had for the right in the last few years, Nader would not have had reason to run.
To wit, eight Senate Democrats voted for the confirmation of Ashcroft. None of the Republicans broke ranks.
How many voters in the constituencies of those eight felt as though they had been sold out? Hadn’t they voted for someone whose party represents more progressive ideals? Apparently not.
If Democrats had held to their convictions in the past few years, and fought again the likes of Ashcroft, they wouldn’t have Nader to blame for anything.

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