LAT reviews politics in 2007

LAT reporter Janet Hook this morning reviews the 2007 contests between President Bush and the Democratic Congress and pronounces Mr. Bush the winner hands down. She writes as though it was surprising, but it wasn't. Anyone who thought that Democrats could run the government from Congress with a small House majority and a razor-thin one in the Senate either had poor judgment or was smoking or drinking something hallucinatory.

Democrats have claimed all year that they had a mandate. A 51-49 margin in the Senate is gridlock, not a mandate. Worse, they behaved all year as if they had a mandate, sending up pointless resolutions and dead-on-arrival legislation. Their behavior was irrational. It is not possible to negotiate with an irrational person or party, which explains why President Bush and Congressional Republicans could not negotiate with them.

Democrats took unnecessary swipes at the president all year, at times ridiculing him and sometimes threatening him. This was pointless and irrational. It is stupid to insult someone and then offer to negotiate with him or her.

Democrats have behaved stupidly and irrationally all year. They should install new leaders for the new year, leaders who are rational and experienced and mature and intelligent. But leaders of that kind might not be able to get elected in an irrational party.