To recap:

Sen. Edward Kennedy, in a reference to President Bush's judicial nominees who include Judge Janice Rogers Brown, an African American, says Democrats will continue to fight any nominee that's a "neanderthal;"

Former Vermont Gov. Howard Dean, running for president, says the Democratic party needs to reach out to guys who fly the Confederate flag;

Democratic Congressional leaders Sen. Tom Daschle and Rep. Nancy Pelosi, frustrated because they could not block a Republican-backed prescription drug bill, attack the American Association for Retired People - the largest group of retirees in the country - for supporting it. Daschle and Pelosi suggest the group may have a conflict of interest and be in bed with Big Insurance.

It's as if party leadership held a meeting, and decided to alienate two of the biggest voter demographics they'll need to be successful in the 2004 elections.