Dateline 1960: John F. Kennedy, at the Democratic National Convention, makes his famous keynote address accepting his party's presidential nomination.

In this speech, he makes mention of his hope that "no American would waste his or her vote by voting either for or against me because of my religion."

Of course, JFK won, and became our nation's only Roman Catholic president.

Dateline 2000: On Tuesday of their 2000 national convention, the Democrats play footage of John Kennedy's dramatic speech, including the quote above.

This is, of course, done in reference to Joseph Lieberman, the first Jewish vice-presidential nominee in history.

JFK and the Democrats were (and still are) right.

Dateline 2001: Democrats oppose the nomination of John Ashcroft for attorney general. Members of the party are saying that a man of his religious beliefs can't effectively serve in that capacity.

The Democrats are wrong.

As a comment, I'd just like to say the following: Feel free to disagree with John Ashcroft's policies (I don't even agree with some of them).

Feel free to hate him.

It's a free country. Feel free to mail everyone from your senator to your grandmother opposing his nomination.

But calling him unqualified is untrue; calling him racist is unfair and slanderous; and mentioning his religion is hypocritical, hateful, and downright wrong.