The Black Republican

Smells like victory.

But the campaign has something of a shellshocked feel, as staffers privately chew over a blowup last week where internal frictions flared into the open. Clinton campaign operatives say it happened as top Clinton advisers gathered in Arlington, Va., campaign headquarters to preview a TV commercial. "Your ad doesn't work," strategist Mark Penn yelled at ad-maker Mandy Grunwald. "The execution is all wrong," he said, according to the operatives.

"Oh, it's always the ad, never the message," Ms. Grunwald fired back, say the operatives. The clash got so heated that political director Guy Cecil left the room, saying, "I'm out of here."

Granted, the Democratic primary season is just the first battle, and a new young turk general is rising to be a nominee that could pummel the Republicans. But I'll take my victories where I can get them nowadays. Getting rid of the Clintons and seeing the Democrats push the even further to the right might be a great thing - IF McCain can play Lieberman to Obama's Lamont.