While the people of Afghanistan are celebrating their first democratic election and the Iraqis are taking their first steps to democracy, the great thinkers in the Democratic Party are still polishing up their conspiracy theories about the war to liberate Iraq.

There's no consensus position, but the Democrats are pretty sure the real reason we went to Iraq was one of the following:

• Bush family's connections to the Saudis,

• Halliburton,

• the Carlyle Group,

• something about the Texas Rangers needing more left-handed pitching,

• the neoconservatives,

• the Straussians,

• oil,

• the Jews,

• oily Jews.

This may be the first time in American history that the decisional calculus for many voters will be: Do I really want to throw my hat in with these crazy people?

John Kerry has called the war with Iraq "a huge mistake, a catastrophic mistake." He said it was no excuse that "Saddam might have done it 10 years from now" ? use weapons of mass destruction against Americans, apparently. (New Kerry campaign slogan: "Let Radical Islamic Iraq Be Radical Islamic Iraq!") Continued...