in the democratic forum broadcast on pbs last thursday, the 1,756 democratic candidates for president addressed the issue of crime and punishment. watching the video and reading the transcript, one gets the sense that the bloom is officially off the mandatory minimum rose.

aside from eliminating the disparity in crack/powder cocaine sentencing, however, the candidates were a bit light on concrete reforms. breaking news: not one candidate called for greater racial disparity in Justice or expansion of the death penalty for expired license plate tabs.

hmmm. what happened to the clinton/gore kill ’em all crime rhetoric of the nineties? is it getting just a little bit safer for democrats to be just a little bit softer on crime? i’ll be fascinated to hear the republican response.

in not-unrelated news, the times endorsed the second chance act today, to “provide grants, guidance and assistance to states and localities that are developing programs to reintegrate former inmates into their communities.”