The Democrats’ post-election soul-searching hit a sour note over the weekend, with recriminations being hurled in the contest to lead the Democratic National Committee. Aides to Mr. Roemer, a former congressman of Indiana, told the CNN that the candidate was irate over an opposition research memo being circulated among Democratic Party types that outlines his voting record. Mr. Roemer, a social conservative, was often willing to break ranks with his party while serving in Congress. During his tenure, he maintained a 94% pro-life voting record, according to the National Right to Life Committee.

Mr. Roemer formally entered the race last week, encouraged by the minority leader in the House, Nancy Pelosi, and in the Senate, Harry Reid. Senator Kerry and other Democrats have recently argued that they lost the election because of their party’s unappealing record on social issues. This argument holds that the Democrats need to soften their hard-line on abortion by promoting adoption, supporting parental notification, or advocating a ban on late-term abortions.

Mr. Kerry also told a gathering of Democratic activists last month that the party needs to welcome more pro-life candidates. Yet Mr. Roemer told the party’s Midwest Caucus on Saturday that he wanted to have “a conversation” about the party’s future, but he is “having trouble doing this because of negative campaigning and litmus tests.” The party’s Massachusetts chairman said: “It would be extremely foolish if the DNC were to be led by a chair who agrees with the Bush administration’s position on abortion.”

Another candidate for the chairmanship, a former Congressman from Texas, Martin Frost, told the St. Louis forum, “We cannot walk away from our base. We cannot walk away from our commitment to civil rights, to a woman’s right to choose, to labor’s right to organize.” A former president of NARAL Pro-Choice America, Kate Michelman, told CNN, “I will spend the next month leading a vigorous effort to ensure that when the DNC elects its new leader, it selects someone who stands forthrightly for a woman’s right to choose.”

Mr. Roemer responded by saying, “That makes me mad. And I’m going to fight. Because I’m part of this great party.” Mr. Roemer will make the case that the Democratic Party isn’t going to start winning elections if it continues to write off large swaths of Red America. To appeal to more Americans, Mr. Roemer told the audience, the Democrats need to learn from the Republican Party, which embraces pro-choice Republicans such as Mayor Giuliani and Governor Schwarzenegger as leaders. “Republicans have a big tent,” he said. “Why can’t we?”

One reason is that the party is increasingly dominated by its activist base. It’s no surprise that the candidate most identified with the radical anti-war movement, Howard Dean, is also the leading candidate for chairman. If Dr. Dean wins the February 12 election, he will be rewarded not for helping the Democrats reach out to moderate voters, but for scaring them off. “If I get this position, I’m not running for president in 2008,” Dr. Dean said at Saturday’s forum. That’s because, having already lost one election for the Democrats, he’ll be helping them lose elections all over the country.