What's Good for Republicans is Good for America?

Fascinating exchange between Jon Stewart and Clinton staffer Nancy Soderberg transcribed on Best of the Web:

Stewart: Do you think they’re [the Bush Administration]the guys to–do they understand what they’ve unleashed? Because at a certain point, I almost feel like, if they had just come out at the very beginning and said, “Here’s my plan: I’m going to invade Iraq. We’ll get rid of a bad guy because that will drain the swamp”–if they hadn’t done the whole “nuclear cloud,” you know, if they hadn’t scared the pants off of everybody, and just said straight up, honestly, what was going on, I think I’d almost–I’d have no cognitive dissonance, no mixed feelings.

Soderberg: The truth always helps in these things, I have to say. But I think that there is also going on in the Middle East peace process–they may well have a chance to do a historic deal with the Palestinians and the Israelis. These guys could really pull off a whole–

Stewart: This could be unbelievable!

Soderberg:—series of Nobel Peace Prizes here, which–it may well work. I think that, um, it’s–

Stewart: [buries head in hands] Oh my God! [audience laughter] He’s got, you know, here’s–

Soderberg: It’s scary for Democrats, I have to say.

But good for the nation and the world, no?

And the Democrats could have – should have – led the charge. 40 years ago, they would have. 60 years ago, they did.