The New Republic Online: Campaign Diary on Florida Senator Bob Graham

Where Graham once spoke in platitudes about the need to reform the intelligence community, he now speaks of "modern Armageddon" and of imminent, catastrophic terrorist attacks for which we are "scandalously ill-prepared." In November, he insisted, "There will be hell to pay for our vulnerabilities."

As the early punditry has noted, Graham opposed Congress's Iraq resolution, making him unique in the broad field of Capitol Hill Democrats considering presidential runs.

But Graham is no dove. Instead, he argues that the United States should be attacking several other Middle Eastern countries harboring terrorists--and he warns his colleagues that "blood is going to be on your hands" if they don't listen to him. While few people were paying attention, the most boring man in the Senate became the most hysterical. And that might just be his best hope for success.

Unlike the other 20 Democrats who voted against the October Iraq resolution, Graham wasn't worried that it was too tough but that it wasn't tough enough.

If Bob Graham runs, it will be as the Paul Revere of the war on terror. And there's nothing boring about that.

This could be an odd Democratic primary season.