THOSE DASHING DEMS: Barry Casselman likens Democrats to the bear hunter who sets a trap, later steps in it after forgetting where he put it, only to become a bear's brunch. Speaking of which: Senate Democrats plan an all-out assault on Alioto, using their standard race-gender weaponry. These demagogues are more suicide-prone than I realized. The last time they tried that strategy, here's the three-word result they achieved: Justice Clarence Thomas. Two key developments have taken place since that era. One, the left has become more obsessed with racial, ethnic, and gender identity-based politics. Two, the American electorate has gotten increasingly turned off by that entire venue because they realize what a cultural and moral dead end it is. So by all means: on Teddy, on Chuckie, on Boxer, on Durbin — dash away all! (against the rocks of political self-destruction). In the immortal words of Yortuk Festrunk: "That's your funeral!"