Everyone's a Little Tense on Election Day

From deep in the heart of Texas:

A former state representative from Dripping Springs has been accused of assaulting the man who defeated him four years ago.

A witness said Rick Green shoved and then punched state Rep. Patrick Rose, D-Dripping Springs, while both stood outside a polling place this morning at Sunset Canyon Baptist Church east of Dripping Springs. . . .

Jackie Whalen, a witness to the incident, said she was standing in line to vote when she saw Rose and Green standing and talking between two vehicles. She said she saw Green push Rose against a sport-utility vehicle and then punch Rose in the face.

"Patrick Rose looked like he was trying to get away and then a bunch of men came over and pulled Rick Green off," Whalen said. "He continued trying to go after him and kept shouting 'You need to stop lying' and 'Let him defend himself, the big baby.' "

In other news, we've known for six years that Democrats are sore losers. Republicans, it seems, are no better. But few Dems moved to Canada in 2004, and few Republicans will head for Australia because of this election. We have big elections in this country every two years, and it takes two years of tireless work by people on both sides to make each election cycle nastier and more embarrassing than its predecessor. We need our partisans to stay in the States to make that happen.