No Need for That

Why is somebody tossing a shoe at Richard Perle during his debate with Howard Dean in Portland yesterday, when the only thing that should be tossed at him are barbs like these?

"Defense is a lot broader than swaggering around saying you're going to kick Saddam's butt," Dean said Thursday, drawing cheers from the crowd in this city that overwhelmingly voted Democratic last November.

I don't think the violent and angry Bush-hating is as widespread as "the party of hurt feelings" advocates like Glenn Reynolds think it is, but I do think it's unwise to let emotions reach this kind of fever pitch. I don't know anything about the shoe-thrower, (s)he could have been the parent of an Iraqi war victim for all I know. But I do think we win with tough rhetoric and bold vision, not shoe-throwing. Let the other side do that.