This story in the New York Times about Democratic gloominess over the Alito nomination is a sweet cookie of recrimination, wrapped in a layer of rich schadenfreude and dipped in bitter-sweet, uh, bitterness.

Among the highlights:

Senator Kennedy laments that the hearings have become too political (seriously, he said that–as Mark Levin noted yesterday. Coming next: Kennedy’s passionate assault on drunk driving and political gasbaggery).

It has dawned on Democrats that elections matter: “In interviews, Democrats said the lesson of the Alito hearings was that this White House could put on the bench almost any qualified candidate, even one whom Democrats consider to be ideologically out of step with the country.”

Mrs. Alito’s crying — they believe — cost them the day because Senator Kennedy’s shabby grilling about Alito’s supposed racism was knocked off the news. (Note: this is the same Senator Kennedy who says the hearing have become too political).

The Senate needs to do some homework: “”These issues are so sophisticated – half the Senate didn’t know what the unitary presidency was, let alone the people of Boston,” Kennedy told the Times. “I’m sure we could have done better.”

The entire Democratic Senate strategy of deliberately opposing even qualified judges has failed.

The Democrats have few ideas that hold them together, and not many more ideas generally.