Blaming the Victim

The New York Times takes after Elizabeth Dole with glee, charging that she simply isn't getting the job done as the head of the National Republican Senatorial Committee.

That's a lot of hooey. The problem isn't Elizabeth Dole (or the subtext that "women can't raise money" when it comes to politics). The problem is that many Republicans are somewhat disgruntled with the Republican Senate apparatus as a whole: Arlen Specter's grandstanding about the NSA wiretapes; Chuck Hagel's grandstanding about everything; Lincoln Chafee's willingness to suck up Republican money in a primary with a better opponent, despite his hostility to all Republican positions in the ordinary course of things; the spending; the Judiciary Committee's foot-dragging on judicial nominations -- the list goes on and on.

Doesn't mean loyal Republicans aren't supporting the party -- or that they don't intend to. They are and they do. Republican politicians are incredibly lucky, in fact, that their Democratic opponents are so utterly unacceptable when it comes to the war on terror.

But in an era when one can simply go on the internet and contribute online to candidates of one's choice, there's simply no need to help subsidize guys like Lincoln Chafee in this cycle (and Chuck Hagel in subsequent ones).

That's not Elizabeth Dole's fault. That's just the fact.