Democrats Are Their Own Worst Enemies

[unhappycamper]

Democrats Are Their Own Worst Enemies
by Dave Lindorff | Jul 21 2007 - 9:24am


If it weren't so depressing, it would be entertaining to watch the loathed, ridiculed and remarkably unpopular Bush administration continue to run circles around the supposedly ascendant Democrats in Congress.

Now that Democrats have provided Bush with full summer funding for his outrageous and doomed escalation of the Iraq War, they are finding themselves incapable of stopping even that affront to the American public, which last November made it clear it wanted this bloody madness in Iraq to end.

Having accepted Bush's terms--that cutting funds for the war is "undermining the troops"--the Democrats in Congress are now unable to challenge Bush's new line--that they should provide even more money to the troops for raises. They are also vulnerable to the new pitch--that they should "listen to the generals" and give the escalation (still being called a "surge" after six full months) until November. All of this is obviously setting the stage for September, when Bush will come back to Congress with a 2008 supplemental funding request to fund the war through the rest of his sorry term of office.

Of course, come November, the generals, who know who gives out the promotions and who are loath to admit that they've lost yet another war, will accommodate their commander in chief and say that they need more time again--say until next February or March. And in this way they'll string out the war, and keep the killing and dying going on, until Bush and Cheney can safely leave office and hand their mess to a new administration.

If the Democrats want to escape this trap of their own making, they are going to have to do something that has eluded Democrats for a generation--really back to the presidency of Lyndon Johnson. They are going to have to stand up and be leaders. (Okay, Johnson was a war criminal and should have been impeached for the Gulf of Tonkin fraud, but he did stand up and lead on Civil Rights legislation, Medicare and the so-called War on Poverty.)

What Democrats have to do is heed the advice of retired Gen. William Odom, and declare that "supporting the troops" means bringing them safely home, and no longer stranding them in a hopeless and pointless war in Iraq. It means declaring that Bush and Cheney lied the country into this war and that he has no right to be trusted on anything he says about it today. They need to say that they are through funding this disaster and that come October 1, there will be no more money appropriated for war in Iraq--only for removing the U.S. from that country. Completely.


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[emulatorloo]

1. "Anytime you see a Democrat get attacked, please step up and defend them."

It seems that the more the Democrats try to do, the more authors like this and DU'ers attack them.

All you have to do is watch CSPAN for a few minutes and you will see that:

Democrats introduce legislation.
Republicans respond with well-coordinated talking points, silly parliamentary challenges (also coordinated I believe), and then they VOTE WITH AND PROTECT BUSH.

From what I understand there is some headway being made in the Senate re convincing some Republicans to come around and START VOTING WITH THE DEMOCRATS on Iraq.

My strategy is to write my Republican senator and reps and ask them to put Country before Party -- stop protecting Bush and do what is right for the men and women in Iraq. Get them out,. Vote with the Dems.

At any rate, all this Dem bashing is getting on my last nerve.

From an email I received from John Kerry yesterday:
<snip>

P.S. - You and I know damn well what happens at moments like this: the Administration attacks their opponents ruthlessly. They smear, they lie. Yesterday they went after Sen. Clinton. I stepped up to defend her. Tomorrow who knows which Democrat they'll attack. Here's what I'm asking you: I don't care if you have a horse in 2008, or who you're supporting. Anytime you see a Democrat get attacked, please step up and defend them.

<snip>

[zalinda]

2. I'm with you, that's why I always defend any dem

(well almost any dem)that is being attacked. Some people are really vicious here, you would think they are repubs, instead of dems. I don't even like candidates being snarky in debates for the primaries. But, then, I'm an old hippy who still believes in love and peace.........what do I know.

zalinda

[blondeatlast]

4. Exactly. I call my RRRepublican Senators and Rep now.

The Democrats have found their footing. If we really want things to change, it's all on the RRRepublicans now.

[blondeatlast]

3. Word of advice, Mr. Lindorff--when you write something a week ahead, make sure you adapt it prior to

publishing. The byline may say 7/21/07, but you clearly missed what the rest of us witnessed. :eyes:

We scored big this week--and one of the points was an unplanned, but lovely, accident (the Edelman letter).I'll pay more attention when Mr. Lindorff pays attention to the news and bothers to follow-up on it.