To tell you the truth, I'm surprised it took 'em this long - they broke out the really nasty stuff on John Kerry waaaay back in August, and they were hitting Al Gore for yeaaaars and years and years. The gloves are off for the next month. Things (and people) are getting really ugly, as the Rec list will attest to.
So, are these bad times? Of COURSE not. As tense as things seem, this is a time for toughness and pride, a time to keep our eyes on the ball. This is the natural consequence of the hard work all of us have been doing for a long time. Why's that?