The Only Quote I Remember from Yesterday's Meet the Press

"See, I would argue that minority parties don't have to be responsible. That's the one good thing going for them, and when they try to be responsible, they're just going to dig themselves into a hole. I mean, you're on -- your job is to throw rocks. Once you start offering alternatives, then suddenly you're playing defense as well. I think Democrats would be crazy, from a political standpoint, to offer up proposals."

--Charlie Cook, on "Meet the Press," 26 March 2006, in response to David Broder's pious pronouncement two seconds earlier:

"...if [Democrats]’re going to be responsible, they need some policy. And the great void on the Democratic side is nobody can tell you today what their policy is about Iraq, about entitlements, or about any of the other challenges facing the country. Whether they need that politically, somebody else is smart enough to decide, but if they're going to be a responsible party, they need to talk about policy."

Nonsense, says Charlie Cook, a political analyst of no mean talent.

And today, at least, we're inclined to agree with Charlie Cook.