Gary Hart Joins John Kerry on Sinking Ship

Gary Hart is now in month, what, four? of his ongoing flirtation with a run for the Presidency:

Former U.S. Sen. Gary Hart said Tuesday a decision on joining the race for the Democratic presidential nomination is only days away, maintaining the feedback he's received so far is very encouraging. [...]

Hart on Tuesday blasted the Bush administration for using "subversive tactics" to conduct the war, and said the lack of focused goals would hurt American troops and send the economy in a downward spiral.

"This administration is not prepared for the retaliatory attacks we will face as a result of this war," said Hart, who suspects Bush has a broader agenda than regime change in Iraq. "The president was not candid with the American public."

He said the war with Iraq is inextricably linked to the nation's economy.

"This war is financed by foreign debt," he said. "This war is going to cost us $200 billion when we are running a $300 billion annual deficit."

It takes a rare, brave, principled, stupid politician public servant to say of a President who is winning a popular war, freeing an entire people, and holding back our full military might so as to spare as many civillians as possible, that he is "using 'subversive tactics' to conduct the war," (on national TV!) that "the president was not candid with the American public," (aside from some well-publicized speeches) and that we're spending too much on national security.

It is especially stupid when that, er, public servant is running for the Presidency, on behalf of a party that has a well-deserved reputation for softness to threats, foreign and domestic.

I know InstaPundit was really hyped about Gary Hart a few months ago, but let me be on the record about this: Any Democrat who runs left of Bush on national security is gonna get trounced in the national election (if not the Dem primaries). Hart is a throwback to Democrats of the 1970s and 1980s, even if some people won't admit it.

He's toast.