Sen. John Kerry, at a campaign event in Chicago yesterday, raised the level of the debate by refusing to discuss issues, instead calling Republicans "the most crooked, you know, lying group of people I've ever seen."

This seems difficult to believe, seeing as how Kerry has served in the Senate with Ted Kennedy and Robert Torricelli. Then there was that guy with the hair, Rep. James Traficant.

When the press asked a Kerry spokesman if he would name specific Republicans who were "crooked," he demurred.

(Campaign official David) Wade emphasized that Kerry was not calling Bush crooked.

"We are going to make it very clear that he's a Democrat who punches back," Wade said of Kerry.

Wade didn't pinpoint when the Bush campaign had referred to Kerry as "crooked" or made any other ad hominem attack.

This campaign is going to be ugly, but only because the Democrats can't help themselves.