Not for the first time,аwe are embarrassed for Richard Cohen, the Washington Post columnist. His work today plumbs a new low in opposition to the nomination of John Roberts: he's too perfect. He should be more like Richard Cohen, flunking out of college, joining the Army and collecting lots of anecdotes, which can be good for material and also for ordinary Joe bona fides.

If only Roberts were a failure, he would better understand the masses (the ones Cohen understands so well because he flunked out of college).

We cringe when we see a wealthy or prominent elitist flaunting solidarity with the poor, whether it's Martin Sheen sleeping on a heating grate or Richard Cohen condescending by thinking of Americans as losers that he understands because he screwed up his early adulthood.

Cohen also fesses up to one of the darkest secrets of the American Left: envy.

'His record is appallingly free of failure.

'I envy him for it and admire him as well.... '

Needless to say, Cohen trots out the standard—issue images and fantasy storylines currently being peddled by the left, everything from Bush is stupid to Intelligent Design to Bush's supposed failure to evacuate New Orleans. Hey Richard, only 13% of the public buys the Bush screwed—up in NoLa narrative. This isn't working.

So, let's see who would be Cohen's ideal appointment to Chief Justice? How about Ted Kennedy? Let's see, a dropout and plagiarist, alcoholic, skirt chaser and probable vehicular homicide driver? He has learned life's lessons.

If Cohen really believes this theory, then he should stop criticizing Bush policy in Iraq for its supposed mistakes. After all, we have had plenty of learning experiences there, and now are much better for it.

Cohen is rapidly following in the footsteps of Paul Krugman: predictably wrong, weird and egotistical. Whereas, Krugman endeavors to depict success as failure (regarding the booming economy , for example),а Cohen strives to portray failure as success. Of course, this is a socialist mantra, isn't it? Disparage success and reward failure.а The Peter Principle at work.а

Krugman and Cohen: matching bookends: one at the New York Times; one at the Washington Post.

Ed Lasky, Thomas Lifson, and Richard Baehrаа 9 08 05