E.J. Dionne:Dems MUST Confront Nat'l Security Challenges - HERES HOW!

[kpete]

Gawddammit E.J. - call them out! This is sooo on the money. This is EXACTLY why the DC Dem consultants suck from A to Z. They are horrible. E.J. gets it exactly right.
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2006/1/24/43216/6134

Rove's Early Warning

By E. J. Dionne Jr.

Tuesday, January 24, 2006; Page A17

By not engaging the national security debate, Democrats cede to Rove the power to frame it. Consider that clever line about Democrats having a pre-Sept. 11 view of the world. The typical Democratic response would be defensive: "No, no, of course 9/11 changed the world." More specifically, there's a lot of private talk among Democrats that the party should let go of the issue of warrantless spying on Americans because the polls show that a majority values security and safety.

What Democrats should have learned is that they cannot evade the security debate. They must challenge the terms under which Rove and Bush would conduct it. Imagine, for example, directly taking on that line about Sept. 11. Does having a "post-9/11 worldview" mean allowing Bush to do absolutely anything he wants, any time he wants, without having to answer to the courts, Congress or the public? Most Americans -- including a lot of libertarian-leaning Republicans -- reject such an anti-constitutional view of presidential power. If Democrats aren't willing to take on this issue, what's the point of being an opposition party?

Democrats want to fight this election on the issue of Republican corruption. But corruption is about the abuse of power. If smart political consultants can't figure out how to link the petty misuses of power with its larger abuses, they are not earning their big paychecks.

more at:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/01/23/AR2006012301261.html

[JHB]

1. Bushco has FAILED us on every single issue of national security...

Some excellent distillation of security issues stemming from Dionne's column by Avedon Carol at The Sideshow:
http://sideshow.me.uk/sjan06.htm#01241216

If the Democratic leadership had any guts, they could make this issue a winner, because this administration has failed us on every single issue of national security, from our levees and mines to our skies to our hope for international support. They have done everything wrong in Afghanistan and then created the disaster in Iraq. Democrats should never stop pointing out that:

--9/11 happened on Bush's watch because this administration failed us.
--It was administration policy from the moment they took office to focus policing and intelligence on pot-smokers and hookers and deliberately ignore Al Qaeda and even overt warnings that an attack was imminent.
--The mission in Afghanistan has been thrown away by the administration.
--Our economic stability, without which we can not hope to effectively defend ourselves, is under grave threat from this administration's policies.
(more bullet points)

There is not one single thing the administration has ever done to protect us - in fact, in each instance, their actions have placed us in greater peril.

It isn't simply that they are "weak" on national security; they are attacking the very foundations of our security, at every level.
(emphasis in original)

[liberal N proud]

2. 9/11 changed nothing but the publics ability to debate the subjects

This world has always seen terror attacks.
Did the Oklahoma City bombing change the world? That was the same thing as 9/11 except that the regime in power saw the opportunity to frame it, exploit it and politicize it.
The bu$h regime has managed to use the Fear Factor to its fullest extent to gain total control of everything in its reach.
They immobilized the Democrats who were already stung by the illegal election of the chimp.

Democrats need to realize the 9/11 only changed the way things could be framed in this nation. Then they need to prepare to attack that philosophy

[PeachyDem88]

3. How hard can it be?

Our ports, borders, rails, planes, and hazardous facilities all remain relatively unprotected.

The record of Republican failure is there for all to see. It shouldn't be too difficult for Democrats to point out, though many voters may remain in denial.

Could it be that Republican voters hate gay people and abortion clinics MORE than they love America, or care for Her security?

[KoKo]

4. I know it's not popular to say this around here...

but Harry Reid and Nancy Pelosi are not doing their jobs. Reid pulled a stunt to get Part II of the 9/11 investigation released by December 15th and where is it? We heard about the Stunt but he didn't achieve getting what the Stunt was about.

Pelosi is an ineffective speaker. She fumbles and is hesitant when she speaks...as is Reid. Pelosi often reluctantly supports "shows of strength" now and then by the House...but she doesn't ever show up at Conyers hearings or seem to support the Progressive Caucus/Black Caucus in the House.

I've read that leaders in the House and Senate are picked more for their ability to raise money for PAC's than for leadership ability. That may have been a change only for Repugs...but it doesn't appear that we have the same kind of strong leaders for House and Senate that Democrats were famous for in years past.

I hope if we can get more Dems in the House and Senate there is a strong challenge to this weak leadership. Pelosi and Reid may be good at raising money but I don't see anything else. They can't even hold their Dems together on issues that are so important. Folks would say it's because the Dems have no power...but after over a decade of this lackluster leadership we keep losing in the court of public opinion and they won't even touch the Election Fraud issue...leaving it up to the Progressive/Black Caucus to do all the work.

What good are they? We sign petitions constantly and what happens? Nothing. It's disgusting.

[kpete]

5. I agree with some of your points

However, I think that they have improved drastically in the last 2 months. They MUST learn to SCREAM louder than the Republicans. Unfortunately, I blame the American Citizens for just NOT paying enough attention. It is SO HARD TO BE HEARD these days....

[Armstead]

6. Kick -- Dionne hits it again

he's not as fiery as some liberal columnists, but he usually hits the nail on the head.

[EVDebs]

7. They're already calling Illegal Domestic Spying a TSP

Terrorist Surveillance Project. We're in the spin cycle now and letting them define 'truth' all over again. The War Powers Act of 1973 requires truthful 'circumstances' 'situations' and 'clarity' for the CONGRESS to act, not by Congress abdicating responsibility and inserting 'at his determination' wording into the resolutions it passes allowing for use of military force...

This is the KEY to how they end-run Congressional checks and balances.

[leftchick]

8. There are the Dems then there are the DLCers...

and Dionne points out how well rove pits them against each other...

<snip>

First, note that phrase, "the same cannot be said for many Democrats." This is Rove's wedge through the Democratic Party. Rove has always counted on Bush's capacity to intimidate some Democrats into breaking with their party and saying something like: "Oh, no, I'm not like those weak Democrats over there. I'm a tough Democrat." The Republicans use such Democrats to bash the rest of the party.

... sound familiar? :grr:

[KoKo]

11. Rove & Company are GOOD...and well funded...and Dems have been

their target along with their Armaggedon/Israeli Plank.

We need to be smarter than Rove...and so far...it seems the best we have had Carville/Begalla has more problems than was worth it...or Kerry would have used them. In all this time no better "TEAM" has shown up..

What does that mean for Us Dems? I think it's a question that's important.

I'm sure no one has an answer, though. :=(

[EC]

9. They've also got to point out that Clinton did a much better

job of stopping attacks, capturing terrorists and convicting them, without throwing the populist into a panic...That all ** can do is tough talk without actions that are meaningful. All he's done is kill alot of people and increased the threat...

[brentspeak]

10. The greatest mystery is why

the Democrats as a group didn't focus attention on Bush's pre-9/11 indifference. I about pulled my hair out of my head watching Kerry's campaign ignore the issues of Bush's vacation and Condi Rice's "What's 'al Quada'?" non-actions.

[AX10]

12. It's time for the Democrats to reclaim the mantle of National Security.

Historically, the Dems have been the party of strong defense (since 1796). We lost that title during the Vietnam debacle and never recovered. We must recover that title if we want to win again. Also, the GOP knows shit about defense. We Democrats need to show the way!