Hail Barbara Boxer!

And to hell with Chip Reid.

Though I was very disappointed in 2000 when Senator Boxer failed to sign the petition concerning the Florida election, my money was on her from the get-go to sign the petition to challenge the Ohio vote, which she did. All hundred Senators should have signed it, but given partisanship, at least all Democrats should have signed it.

MSNBC's Chip Reid made a point of telling viewers that many Democrats were trying to distance themselves from the petition because they "didn't want to look like sore losers." For that reason, Reid said, they didn't want to be identified with "the radical fringe."

This isn't Rush Limbaugh or Bill O'Reilly or Sean Hannity talking: This is "mainstream" news, telling the American people that being concerned about the fairness of a highly questionable election puts you in the "the radical fringe." If it is radical to want elections to be fair, then so be it. America is a strange place.

As for the "sore loser" thing--until Democrats develop spines and get off of the defensive, they will be called names. Instead of yelling "Cheaters!" Democrats slink off into a corner and hope it all goes away.

As for the other so-called liberals in the Senate, where were they when the letter asking for a signature was read? Where was Ted Kennedy? Patty Murray? Dick Durbin? Hillary Rodham Clinton? Tom Harkin?

They were off slinking, waiting for the "healing" to begin.