So, who's winning?

Politics don't get interesting until you have some idea of who's winning. It used to be fairly easy to see that the Republicans had everything locked down, especially after the last presidential election. Dems flogged themselves for having lost to W in spite of the most visceral zeal the party had felt in ages. Republicans gloated, smug in their solidly-built position statements, philosophy and grass-roots powerhouse.

Now . . . it's hard to tell. W is getting less and less traction these days, and not just because of the war. After continued spending, the Katrina fiasco, the Harriet Myers nomination, even generally sympathetic conservatives like yours truly were starting to think that this guy really is as dumb as his detractors make him out to be. And the alleged ethical lapses of the Republicans aren't helping either.

But wait! Alito comes in, the Democratic senators all dive for him at once and knock their heads together, and suddenly the Republicans are smirking again and the Dems are back into gut-checking mode again. The only thing that has changed, and God I hope it's true, is that both sides are going back into their corners and really, really trying to get their act together in time for the next election.

Interesting times . . .