Don't worry, they're here, in the District 62 special election:

Tennessee Democrats deny the special election in House District 62 is do or die for their beleaguered party. Why then do you think they sent this over-the-top mailer accusing Republican Pat Marsh of favoring the cloning of humans? Sorry, what?

The claim is absurd on its face and seems unlikely to sway many voters. "Pat Marsh would take creating life out of God's hands--and turn it over to scientists and lab technicians." Please. That's right, if Marsh is elected, the state of Tennessee will start cooking up babies in petri dishes. (emphasis in original)

District 62 is holding a special election to replace outgoing Rep. Curtis Cobb (D-Shelbyville). The designated hopeful successor is his brother, Ty. Among the jesters pouring out of the clown car to fall over themselves in support of Cobb the Lesser is House Democratic Caucus leader Mike Turner. It is becoming all too apparent that if Mike Turner found he had cannibals among his constituents in Dist 62, he would promise them missionaries for dinner.*

Since when did the TNDP become a puke funnel for Tennessee Right To Life? This state party is now reportedly sending out mailers which are, in large part, meant to drive traffic to an organization whose very charter runs directly counter to the platform of the national party, which states, "The Democratic Party strongly and unequivocally supports Roe v. Wade and a woman’s right to choose a safe and legal abortion, regardless of ability to pay, and we oppose any and all efforts to weaken or undermine that right."

In an effort to win a single House race, TNDP has not only jettisoned the moral high ground vis-a-vis negative campaign tactics, it has also flipped the bird to a core of its constituency and is now blatantly shilling for TNRL. I understand that the stakes are pretty high for the balance of power in the Tennessee House. As a sometime partisan, I concede the importance of The Win. At what point, however, does the impulse to win devolve into this sort of Atwater-esque gutter filth? (Decency, what is that? Have we already lost the bitter taste of disgust we shared when the GOP smear merchants spread the lie that Harold Ford Jr. wanted to force-feed abortifacient drugs to minors? How about when the RNC ran ads depicting same as Mandingo? No?)

Follow the outcome of this race. If these risible campaign tactics net a hold for the Democrats, we can only expect more of the same in 2010 as they clamber and claw and scrabble in increasingly pitched attempts to regain a majority. Even if they don't notch this one, perhaps they'll conclude that they weren't shameless enough and use their lust for power to plumb the depths of amorality, fecklessness, manufactured outrage, constituent backstabbing, crass hucksterism, buffoonery, and intellectual torpor (in other words, aping the career arc of Bill Hobbs). It remains to be seen, preferably from a substantial distance, should the worst come to pass.

If you don't mind being played for a rube, today's TNDP will always have room for you. As it stands, there exists no principle too small to sell out, so let's just start with the big 'uns, shall we?

(* h/t Henry Louis Mencken - if you'll pardon the run on his legacy of late.)