Democrats Meander in a New New Direction

"We won't be Swift-boated on the national security issue," the minority leader maintained.

"As you know," came the follow-up, Republicans "are citing past votes by you and other Democrats."

Pelosi was defensive. "I have five children," she said. "Five grandchildren, going on six. And I consider myself the ultimate security mom." By way of clarification, she felt compelled to add: "Democrats are committed to hunting down Osama bin Laden."

A third questioner pointed out that Republicans have regained the lead on national security. "This is what, I guess, campaigns will be about," Pelosi conceded with some reluctance. "It shouldn't be about national security."

It's not clear what more Pelosi could do to shift the debate back to friendly terrain. Ninety minutes after her "New Direction" news conference, she was in a teleconference with reporters to talk about Social Security. "We have serious concerns about the safety and security of Social Security," she warned.

But the journalists weren't nibbling; of the 15 people on the call, only one asked a question.

At about the time Pelosi was unveiling the "New Direction" brochures, Sen. John Ensign (R-Nev.) was out on the Senate floor, accusing Democrats of aiding the terrorists. "Al-Qaeda," he said, sees "the lack of resolve in some of our leaders, and they seek to exploit it."

The charge enraged Sen. Mary Landrieu (D-La.), who had come to the floor to talk about education.

"America is not tired of fighting terrorism," she retorted. "America is tired of the wrongheaded and boneheaded leadership of the Republican Party that has sent $6.5 billion a month to Iraq when the front line was Afghanistan and Saudi Arabia, that led this country to attack Saddam Hussein when we were attacked by Osama bin Laden."

She continued: "And Americans are most certainly tired of leadership that, despite documented mistake after mistake after mistake . . . never admit that they ever do anything wrong."

It was angry and raw. But it was a new direction.