How "Dialing and Stumping for Dollars" Success-ified the Surge.

[SoCalDem]

Once again, our democratic congress/senate members refused to play their trump cards, and chose to "go back home"..."go on vacation"..

Their month-long abdication of oversight allowed what few victories they had mustered, to weakly fade away, like a decrepit, consumptive auntie.

Imagine the message to the public..the world, had they decided to STAY in DC this summer, and to state the reason as the necessity of oversight during the justice department crisis, the disastrous numbers coming from the warfront, and the failing economy. They would have sent a message that , indeed, there WERE adults in charge.Adults change plans when life circumstances intervene..only children mourn the loss of a vacation, when the familiy is faced with bankruptcy..

Had the democrats played hardball and said "WE are staying, you republicans can go off to your picnics & campaign stunts, but WE have work to do", there would have been pressure on republicans to stay, as well.

If there were not enough present to vote on things, this would have been a prime opportunity to continue the invaluable hearings, and to maintain pressure on the white house.

That amnesic month of August allowed Gonzo to slink off into the sunset, as did Rove, and probably others as well.. It turned the heat down to a simmer, but even that pot has gone dry, and any further hearings are now moot.

Bush eased out Rove & Gonzo on HIS terms, and the willing press gave them a fond farewell, with little or no emphasis on WHY they were leaving.

The big empty August allowed the bush'ites to fan out and beat the drum for the surge, and of course, now the surge is a whopping success.. A whole month of virtually unanswered claims of wild success, has done the trick once again.

The ones running, may have plumped up their campaign coffers, and the ones not running, may have enjoyed some lazy crazy days of summer, munching on corn on the cob and hot dogs, but they missed a golden opportunity to reclaim some of the good will they shredded by supporting bush's war spending.

Now they return, with 11 necessary bills to pass in less than 30 days, and little time to continue where they left off. If they DO try to ramp up the hearings, they will be accused to lollygagging on the "important business", and if they let it drop and fade away, they will be accused of not "following through"..

Is there no long-term planning anymore? As long as we are the party of RE-action, we will always struggle.