OC Weekly: Let's Help the Democrats Find Their Spines

[question everything]

OC Weekly

Lost in OC
Dem Bones

Let's Help the Democrats Find Their Spines

By Jim Washburn
Tuesday, May 2, 2006


(snip)

Along with the administration enfeebling FEMA, leaking classified info, creating torture prisons and so very much other stuff, how about a top CIA official — Europe station chief Tyler Drumheller — stating unequivocally on 60 Minutes on April 23 that the Bush administration had been properly informed that Iraq had no WMDs and that it hadn’t sought nuclear materials from Niger, well before Bush lied to the contrary to Congress and the American people, leading us into this damned war.

You might think that in a functioning democracy Drumheller’s revelations — a capper to the Downing Street memos and other evidence — would hit the front page of every U.S. paper and remain there until Bush was impeached. At this writing, not one single word has appeared in the “liberal” Los Angeles Times. Let’s just reiterate: a CIA official in a position to know says the president of the United States willfully lied to scare us into a war in which nearly 2,400 Americans and more than 100,000 Iraqis have died. Surely that should warrant at least a foreskin of the attention the Times gave to Bill Clinton’s dick for a year and a half, don’t you think?

(snip)

With a history of losing elections, you’d think Democrats would at least want the satisfaction of being right when they lose. It’s time they tackled previously unassailable issues, like the military budget. If we cut it in half, we’d still have by far the world’s most expensive military; we could use the money to start fixing problems at home, and we might be less inclined to go to war. When your only tool’s a hammer, every problem looks like a nail. If we invested more in diplomacy and the common good, war might be able to stay in the toolbox. It’s patriotic to say so, and to decry the grip of lobbyists on government, and to call for the impeachment of criminals in office. If Democrats can’t distinguish themselves from Republicans on such issues, then why not just vote for Republicans, who at least do their train wrecks full speed ahead?

It looks like meaningful campaign reform won’t come from Congress, so Democrats should adopt their own. How’s this: don’t accept corporate money or lobbyists’ money. That fits well with a new campaign strategy: don’t spend a damn penny on ads. Kerry’s campaign cost well over $1 billion. Since he lost, it might as well have been poured down a hole, which is what I recommend doing with it. Use the party’s money to fix potholes, buy meals for the elderly or do other public works. Run a shadow government that’s so effective people will want to see what Democrats can do with a real government again.

The money’s wasted on ads because the Democrats will never, ever beat the Republicans on their home field. You can’t sell reason in a 30-second commercial, but you sure can sell fear, and Republicans do a tiptop job of that. But if people watching TV have nothing but that coming at them, they might just get hungry for an alternative and check out the Dems’ message on the web, or call their TV networks demanding more real news.

(snip)

http://www.ocweekly.com/columns/lost-in-oc/dem-bones/25047/

[Erika]

1. Good thinking

But right now the Dems are using the political tactic of just sitting back and watching the Republicans self destruct...and enjoying it.

[Oversea Visitor]

2. Have they not learn anything

from all the sucide bomber. Blast will hit them as well and also lots of innocents.
Nice in thoughts but do think a bit ahead what after blast.
Cant they defuse BIG KABOOM>

[question everything]

3. As we saw in 2004

"not standing in a path of a train wreck" is not a winning strategy

[Erika]

4. good point but we offered something else in 2004

W revved up his base with God and fear. They've grown up since as you can see in the polls.