ACCORDING TO Patches O’Houlihan, the legendary coach featured in the film “Dodgeball,” winning required mastery of the game’s five d’s: “dodge, duck, dip, dive, and dodge.” Today, that silly catchphrase for an even sillier movie has become the operating manual for congressional Democrats campaigning for re-election. As they weave through the minefield of President Obama’s policy blunders, they’ve avoided discussing the substance of a host of important issues. One can’t help but be impressed by their dexterity in deploying a few d’s of their own.

Deny. On Benghazi, Democrats’ central tactic has been simply to deny there exists a problem worth evaluating. The attack upon the US Consulate in Libya left four Americans dead;desperate calls for assistance drew no military response; and White House talking points were famously edited to remove any reference to Al Qaeda. But even after it was revealed that the White House withheld e-mails from Congress, most Democrats still insist there is nothing to debate. By condemning any proposed hearing as “partisan,” they hope to keep voter interest to a minimum.