WASHINGTON -- By
a vote of 25 to 14, Senate Democrats this morning solidly
reaffirmed their decision to keep their powder dry.
Although a minority of Democratic Senators expressed concern that the cost of the dry powder was mounting, a large majority disagreed.
"Looking the other way at violations of the Constitution seems a small price to pay for dry powder," noted Sen. Barbara Mikulski (D-MD).
Ever since losing control of the Senate in 2002, Senate Democrats have worked hard at maintaining dry powder. It hasn't been easy. A series of outrageous Bush administration nominations and pieces of Republican legislation have tempted them with using the powder. Nevertheless, they've stood firm against temptation. The results are impressive.
Analysts note that no opposition party's powder has been this dry since at least the 1950s. And some say since much longer ago than that.
"Despite the often heated partisan rhetoric in Washington these days, you'd need to go back to the Era of Good Feelings in the early 19th century to find an opposition party so committed to dry powder," noted one historian. "Of course, in hindsight the Era of Good Feelings was perhaps most notable for Congress's bipartisan commitment to ignore the atrocity of slavery. Good thing nothing remotely comparable is happening today!"
Democratic strategists are convinced that the American people will respond positively to the dry powder.
"All our polling suggests that, above all, Americans want a party that keeps its powder dry," noted DSCC chair, and dry powder supporter, Sen. Chuck Schumer of New York.
Following his pro-dry powder vote, Minority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) called a press conference to announce that the party is working on constructing a lockbox for their powder. "You never know what this administration is capable of," Reid noted. "We want to make sure that we're never foolishly tempted to use the powder."
Democrats on the Hill have been particularly buoyed by the lack of criticism that the dry-powder policy has received from Washington pundits. "Maybe one day I'll get invited back to David Broder's parties," noted one Democratic Senate aide hopefully.
Of course the dry powder policy has its critics, especially among the Democratic Party's grassroots. "As long as they keep voting for us, who the hell cares!," exclaimed one female Democratic Senator from the Northeast, speaking on condition of anonymity.