THE NEW YORK TIMES: “Some Democrats are Sensing Missed Opportunities:”

In interviews, senior Democrats said they were optimistic about significant gains in Congressional elections this fall, calling this the best political environment they have faced since President Bush took office.

But Democrats described a growing sense that they had failed to take full advantage of the troubles that have plagued Mr. Bush and his party since the middle of last year, driving down the president’s approval ratings, opening divisions among Republicans in Congress over policy and potentially putting control of the House and Senate into play in November.

Asked to describe the health of the Democratic Party, Senator Christopher J. Dodd of Connecticut, the former chairman of the Democratic National Committee, said: “A lot worse than it should be. This has not been a very good two months.”

The problem stems from a lack of self-discipline, and a base that’s far from the electorate, but that must be assuaged. And as Barack Obama says: “We have been in a reactive posture for too long. I think we have been very good at saying no, but not good enough at saying yes.”

Criticism isn’t a platform, but they’ve failed to offer affirmative plans of their own:

“We’re selling our party short; you’ve got to stand for a lot more than just blasting the other side,” said Gov. Phil Bredesen of Tennessee. “The country is wide open to hear some alternatives, but I don’t think it’s wide open to all these criticisms. I am sitting here and getting all my e-mail about the things we are supposed to say about the president’s speech, but it’s extremely light on ideas. It’s like, ‘We’re for jobs and we’re for America.’ “

Indeed. Somebody run this guy for President.