Remember when it was all about Bush

Say what you will about the race for the Democratic presidential nomination, at least the candidates are focused on each other and their differences. Not too long ago the hallmark of Democratic Party politics was who could spew the most vitriol about President Bush.

Arguably that worked in the 2006 elections, but it proved to be a classic be-careful-what-you-wish-for victory. Democrats now in control of Congress have done virtually nothing to curb Mr. Bush's efforts in Iraq and elsewhere. In fact, according to the latest Rasmussen poll, the president's approval rating is up, although a deeper reading of the numbers should dispel any Republican hopefulness.

Sens. Clinton and Obama have gotten the message, though. Gone are Cindy Sheehan and the MoveOn.org crowd. The two Democratic contenders are running against each other instead of Mr. Bush, and voters are the beneficiaries. As muddled and mixed-up as things are these days, it's important to know what a candidate stands for rather than just hearing a chorus of "no's" about the other party's guy.

In a visit to eastern  Pennsylvania this weekend, I heard no talk of the current administration with Tuesday's primary bearing down. Instead, the mostly Obama crowd I was with was talking about their candidate's positive message and what a healthy change they felt that would be for the country. We'll see.

Of course, Sen. John McCain, the likely Republican presidential candidate, will be joined at the hip to Mr. Bush by Democratic operatives come the fall. But in the meantime, it's nice to be debating the issues and looking to the future instead of picking through the entrails of the past eight years.