The issue for Democrats here is how to reconcile being "tough on security" in Americans' eyes with  standing true to their party's principles. Some people are able to be consistent, others like Joe Biden or Joe Lieberman fail miserably. They are still infinitely better than the GOP majority, because you can at least count on them half the time. At the same time though, in a country where political debate is limited to who makes the best soundbyte, how can any productive discourse take place without turning off potential voters? Just think back to 2004 when Kerry said we need to be "smart and sensitive" when it comes to using force to fight the war on terrorism. He was basically portrayed as a complete weakling by the opposition!

Mikhail from SF