EJ Dionne believes the patient's not terminal. Who knows, maybe he's right!

If Bush's strategy is to drag Congress down to his low level of public esteem, he is succeeding brilliantly.

The Democrats' core problem is that they have been unable to place blame for gridlock where it largely belongs, on the Republican minority and the president.

Cue the "media makes the territory unfavorable" argument. Yeah, which we knew the day, the minute, the second after the election. Any strategy by the Dem leadership to change that, in the year they've had to work on it? None that I can see.

The House has passed many bills, but the Republican minority has enormous power in the Senate to keep the legislation from getting to the president's desk. This creates the impression [nice use of the passive voice!] that action is being stalled through some vague and nefarious congressional "process."

Cue tiny violin playing The Theme From Process Dodge! All this, again, was known, the second after the election, because it flows directly from the vote count and the Republican Playbook. Any strategy by the Dem leadership to change that, in the year they've had to work on it? None that I can see.

What's the alternative to internecine Democratic finger-pointing of the sort that made the front page of yesterday's Post? The party's congressional leaders need to do whatever they have to do to put this year behind them. Then they need to stop whining. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid should put aside any ill feelings and use the Christmas break to come up with a joint program for 2008.

Assuming the whining and the fingerpointing isn't all kabuki, of course. At this point, I'm not willing to assume that, because cui bono? We're getting totally fucked, after spending a lot of time and money on these guys that we don't really have, and they're collecting big time, so it's all working out very well for them, eh?

They could start with the best ideas from their presidential candidates in areas such as health care, education, cures for the ailing economy and poverty reduction. Agree to bring the same bills to a vote in both houses. Try one more time to change the direction of Iraq policy. If Bush and the Republicans block their efforts, bring all these issues into the campaign. Let the voters break the gridlock.

Which is a great idea! And will see if there's enough life left in the Democratic Party to make that happen. Fancy, actually pull together as Democrats, instead of rolling over for Bush every time he scratches their belly!

If Democrats don't make the 2008 election about the Do-Nothing Republicans, the GOP has its own ideas about whom to hold responsible for Washington's paralysis. And if House and Senate Democrats waste their time attacking each other, they will deserve any blame they get next fall.

Yes. Did you hear Huckerbee regurgitating Ron Brownstein's vile little screed on polarized/paralyzed the other day? Get ready....

NOTE As Frank Herbert remarks:

When a creature has developed into one thing, he will choose death rather than change into his opposite.

Maybe we already know what kind of created the Democratic Party is. But I have the feeling that after 2008, we're going to really know. IIRC, the Democratic Party is the oldest political party in the world, and it's reinvented itself many times. But all things pass.