Although I certainly don't feel in step with their vision of the world, neither do I feel something has to be evil just because a Republican somewhere believes it. We need them to act as a brake on the Democrats when, drunk with power, they become obsessed and greedy from too much success and want it all, just as the Reps did during the Reagan and Bush II administrations. That is, after all, what politicians tend to do, regardless of ideology. There is a reason we live in a two-party system, it has served us fairly well so far and that is why it has survived.

The current meltdown of the Republicans is reflected right here on the Zone where the more reasonable voices of the moderates are increasingly drowned out by the shrill bleating of the extremists, a situation that Democrats should be familiar with, having experienced it in their own ranks. Let us hope that cooler heads prevail and the moderates regain control of the GOP and act as a responsible and honorable oppposition, and perhaps in the future, a fair and honorable majority, a necessary check and balance on their opponents. We all have a tendency to root for our side, and to close ranks when faced with a common enemy. This is natural and wholesome, but it can lead to situations like the Republicans are experiencing right now, where decent loyalty and sincere convictions are being exploited by the zealots and ideologues.

The Republicans are going to have to clean up their own house, and their opponents should not presume they can play a patronizingly helpful part. But we, as liberals, can play a useful role by showing some restraint, and limiting our harshest criticism to those on the opposition who truly are a threat to our freedom and an insult to our intelligence, and by recognizing that they are, in fact, a minority, even in their own party.