A conversation on tough issues usually takes two

Maybe Bill Clinton took the last pair when he left the White House, but the Democrats have been unable to get their hands on any since then.

One of the most appalling developments during the national "conversation" on life, government and Terri Schiavo was the absence of any real debate. The religious right was vocal and aggressive in framing the issue as one about the sanctity of life. But the opposing view went almost without a sponsor.

There was the conspicuous absence of any compelling voice coming from the Democratic Party. Last Sunday when the debate reached the House of Representatives, Barney Frank was left to make the opposition's case practically alone. All of the so called leaders of the Democratic Party were silent.

It's not like they didn't have encouragement from public sentiment. By a margin of 63 percent to 28 percent, an ABC News poll said Americans supported removing Terri Schiavo's feeding tube and almost 70 percent resented Congress' involvement.

Even with those numbers, the Democrats were too timid to get involved.

It reminded me of the Iraq War and the 2004 election all over again. When the president coasted on stratospheric approval ratings and proposed a war, Democrats climbed over each other to fall in line and appear to be in step. Most overwhelmingly supported giving the president the power to go to war with Sadam Hussein, against their better judgments and counter to the will of their base.

Later when the war started going sour and Howard Dean's protest began to find traction, there was the parade of Democrats scurrying across the street. Later in the election, explaining their actions required the kind of spin that provided fertile ground for Republicans to plant seeds of doubt about their sincerity.

Here we go again. The nation is involved in a discussion about life, death, and the role of the government in our lives, and Democrats have NOTHING to say? Part of the reason the Democrats are out of power is because they don't appear to believe in anything with any real conviction - the kind that says "even if we lose elections, even if we lose power, even if we are down in the polls, we will not compromise on these core beliefs."

We know what the core beliefs are for Republicans. They speak out against what they believe is wrong, regardless of popular opinion.

I only wish the Democrats could find that kind of conviction because a conversation on tough issues usually takes two.

"Balls!" cried the Queen. "If I had them, I'd be King!"