This is a sad, strange little party, and it has my pity:

The Democratic Party is moving faster and more aggressively than in previous election years to dig up unflattering details about Republican challengers. In House races from New Jersey to Ohio to California, Democratic operatives are seizing on evidence of GOP candidates’ unpaid income taxes, property tax breaks and ties to financial firms that received taxpayer bailout money.In recent weeks, the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee has circulated information to local reporters about Republican candidates in close races . . . Jon Vogel, executive director of the DCCC, said Democrats are merely pointing out that some Republican recruits in competitive House races are “flawed candidates.”

He added, “We have made this election a choice. . . . They’re trying to run this national message in part about fiscal discipline, but they’ve recruited a number of candidates not credible to carry that message.”

Right. So instead the voters, having deemed the GOP options as lacking fiscal discipline at some earlier point in their lives, should reelect the crew who have taken the deficit to $13 trillion and who perpetually promise to do something about it next year.

Although I suppose we should give them one point for reaching across the aisle; right now there is bipartisan agreement that the record of the current Congress is indefensible.