Cynical? or lying?
I got what I think was the "party line" from Harry Mitchell (AZ) after I wrote him how disappointed I was in his vote on the supplemental. He did write back and it was as if we were in different realities. Appears to be a tactic borrowed from the RNC or Rove.
Harry will be off my money list as will the various "Blue" organizations who helped elect people who abandon their duty at the first sign of difficulty.
Rahm Emanuel (D-IL) telling reporters that giving Bush a blank check somehow represents “the beginning of the end of the president’s policy in Iraq.”
Pure Orwellian doublespeak.
Pelosi is roaming aroung utterly a similar talkingpoint.
These lawmakers are utterly and completely useless and should be voted out of office for failing to carry out the will of the American people.
...and which DamDems are talking about the need for alternative fuels? Hmmmmmm
Posted by Sharon at May 27, 2007 07:02 AMOf COURSE "we are all too stupid to see through this crap." Well... Not you, and not me. But everyone else is.
But taking another perspective... I look outside today, it's sunny, getting warmer every day, it looks like a very nice day. I compare the number of Americans dead in Iraq so far to the 50+ thousand that were killed in Viet Nam thirty-five years ago and it's doesn't seem so bad. And no draft for military service; all these soldiers who've died wanted to serve despite the risk of death, so I have to believe they were honorable deaths. I assume they thought it was the smart thing to do--that it will provide a useful result. Far be it from me to judge them badly.
It's not my point-of-view, but I can see it the way they do so I think I understand why those that do are so stupid.
Someone said a few days ago that, despite polls to the contrary, most Americans still support the war. That's how democracy goes. I've got Russ Feingold, Herb Kohl, and (god-help-us-all) Jim Sensenbrenner as my representatives in Congress. Russ Feingold is great, of course, but Wisconsin used to have the likes of William Proxmire and Gaylord Nelson as its progressive Senators. Now it's impossible to find anyone to get rid of either Kohl or Sensenbrenner here. There are very few good Democrats nowadays, and it seems like it's getting harder to find them. I sometimes wonder what difference it makes if any of us are smart voters if there's no one to vote for.
Posted by NealB at May 27, 2007 07:06 AMWe have been mislead for too long.
We need a real leader.
The first one to call dibs on Impeaching these bastards will get my support and my vote.
Posted by mparker at May 27, 2007 08:06 AMGreat post, and the title nails it.
I'm afraid this is the kind of representation we get stuck with when we insist on perpetuating a "lesser of two evils" philosophy.
Posted by abi at May 27, 2007 08:10 AMExcellent post! Same reason the Vietnam war dragged on. They didn't disagree with the policy, merely quibbled about the execution of it. (Like whores quibbling over the price.) Hillary wants some of that Unitary Executive thingy. If Clinton and Dodd weren't running for POTUS, they too would have voted for the supplemental. Kerry -- who knows? -- he came late to his anti-Vietnam War position and I can only surmise that either he didn't really "get it" or visions of being an all powerful POTUS danced in his head when the IWR vote came up.
Let's not overlook the fact that under Clinton the US attempted a coup to take down Saddam. How many busted coups has the US been involved with?
Posted by Marie at May 27, 2007 08:43 AMSen. Jeff Sessions just said on FTN "I don't think we need a soldier in Iraq a single day longer than is necessary to serve our national interest..."
Would someone kindly englighten me to exactly what 'our national interest' is in Iraq?
Posted by Cordier at May 27, 2007 09:19 AMI think this is a good thing for dem leadership. Not the vote but the fact they are getting HAMMERED for it. Good. I want the beating the dems are taking to haunt them right thru July when another Iraq bill comes to the floor. They can't get away with capitulating and then disappear into the Beltway cocktail circuit like the old days.
We're holding them accountable and its going to be that way from now on.
Our troops deserve better than the Dems have given them this Memorial Day weekend. What a waste of lives, and of an election.
Posted by Via at May 27, 2007 10:17 AMI object to the use of the term "cynical" (although this may be consistent with the currently popular misuse of the term). Those of us who are cynics along the lines of Ambrose Bierce's definition do not wish to be grouped with Emanuel, Clinton, et al. I am rather inclined to agree with Bill in this.
Posted by jwrjr at May 27, 2007 10:55 AMIn 2003-2004, I devoted all my vacation days and a few unpaid days off of work to volunteer for Howard Dean in Iowa and Arizona. I donated nearly all of my spare money to the Dean campaign. It wasn't a sacrifice, I wanted to do it and I enjoyed doing it. If I had had more, I would have given more. There were thousands like me who did pretty the same or much, much more.
He was leading. He was getting pounded daily, hourly, by the right wing noise machine, but he did not roll over. And remember, too, that Dean did not have polls showing that the majority of the country agreed with him.
I and thousands of others responded. We didn't do it because we were sheep looking to be led. We didn't do it because he had "rock star" charisma. We did it because he was standing up for what was right, standing up for us. He was leading.
I cannot imagine doing anything remotely like that for any of the current candidates.
I don't know what to do anymore. I can't run for president. Other than Al Gore, I don't know anyone who can do what needs to be done for the Democratic Party and for the United States of America.
Please can somebody please talk to Al Gore please?
Posted by James E. Powell at May 27, 2007 11:34 AMYes, it would have been so much better if Hilary Clinton had voted for the supplemental.
Real tired of soccerdad and pessimist. Can't wait for them to find another home somewhere else.
Posted by Styrofloam at May 27, 2007 11:41 AMThe bushies will be ready to start withdrawing troops as soon as the Iraqis pass the oil bill that gives production control over to Exxon et al. Once that bill is signed, Bush will suddenly visualize a post invasian Iraq that only needs the permanent bases to enforce the oil contract, but other interests in Iraq will wane unless they connect to a good long-term contract deal on Iranian oil.
The dems need to say it over and over now. The war is about oil. Osama and Saddam are convenient props.
Posted by angel at May 27, 2007 11:51 AMI seem to have suddenly appeared on all the Dem mailing lists. I am sending each solicitation for money back with a note telling them they will get a contribution from me when they take serious action to bring this war to an end, not one moment before. I suggest that everyone do this. Don't throw the mailer in the waste basket, send it back and tell them why there is no check enclosed.
Posted by Gareth G at May 27, 2007 12:17 PMGareth G,
You are on to something here. I have been doing the same thing. We should organize a "Send it back empty" campaign.
What would be the best way to get it going?
Posted by James E. Powell at May 27, 2007 12:38 PMYes, it would have been so much better if Hilary Clinton had voted for the supplemental.
If you think she voted against it out of principle you are the typical sucker the dems are counting on.
Actually I'm tired of people like you who care not for policy but only that a dem carry it out. Pretty pathetic. Go find an echo chamber and talk to yourself.
soccerdad:
One should also consider that Bush's invasion of Iraq is really just the logical extension of the Carter Doctrine and a logical escalation of Clinton's attempt to bring down Saddam by sanctions and limited bombing.
Ha, ha, ha. And an old school "LOL."
Posted by Toby Petzold at May 27, 2007 01:01 PMI like Soccerdad and Paradox for their huge hearts and am glad they pound away. The leadership thing is a huge problem.
The dinosaur dems lack any sense that the bloated fossil fuel regime is fading and it is a matter of national urgency for all parties including the vile corporate oligarch kleptocracy to move beyond it with all due dilligence.
Why? you may ask. It was a fluke, a 'happy coincidence' going back to Titusville and Spindletop followed by Henry Ford. The outcome warped our entire world with bad planning, sprawl and a complacent moron laziness that lingers yet.
The entire oil model is now on life support while we have amazing capabilities on the shelf to move beyond it quickly and efficiently AND make wealth and work for the many.
But no, the addled dinosaur dems still tacitly embrace a dying status quo and work as if it isn't doomed. That's their problem. They are idiots.
It is the most exciting mission of our lifetime and they sit with their thumbs up their asses struggling to figure out how to best an imbecile oil shill president with a sub toilet approval rating.
We are going to flee Iraq in our socks. It is pre ordained. We are going to be seeing huge hurricane damage between now and November. You can take it to the bank.
Our current moron economy model of maxxed out short term greed has already made us irrelevent in the global economy and third world countries are leapfrogging ahead of is in sustainability because they can't afford not to.
Basically the dino dems are like a bunch of jacklit deer frozen by the headlights as an inexorable future flattens them. The GOP are vile imbecile criminals struggling desperately to keep a dead man walking.
Keep an eye to those who show a clue and old AL Gore leads the pack. It's called leadership and we will kill ourselves over shallow style over substance claptrap before we figure this out.
Posted by Chris Rich at May 27, 2007 01:29 PMStyrofloam, piss off. SoccerDad and Pessimist have been here for years, and they aren't going anywhere. Perhaps it is you who need to find another home, fucker.
Posted by Judith at May 27, 2007 04:27 PMJudith, Pessimist already left last year.
Posted by peter at May 27, 2007 04:58 PMIt's nice to see somebody here realising that members of both parties are out for the oil, or oil money. Refreshingly honest Soccerdad! Anything left in your tank to address the lack of ethics reform and earmark reform? Just wondering. Seems Rep Obey wants to have earmarks placed in bills within committee thus preventing a motion to recommit. No vote on earmarks, no idea who supported the earmarks. They just happen.
More from the DCCC:
“While the NRCC is forced to rely on smear tactics, Democrats are delivering real results for the American people: raising the minimum wage, lowering gas prices and holding the president accountable for the war in Iraq.”said Jennifer Crider, communications director for the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee.
Loved the one about lowering gas prices. Have you seen them lowered yet?
Posted by peter at May 27, 2007 05:15 PMActually, gas prices in my area are going down, peter. Are you saying that's a bad thing? I'm not sure what's making that happen, but I'm grateful for it.
And the good folks here have addressed the ethics reform and the earmark issue in previous posts. Perhaps you should scroll down, or do a word search on the site, you might find what you're looking for. As for the DCCC, it appears soccerdad addresses the issue in the this post. Have you read it? It's kind of you to share your paragraph with us, but I'm really not sure what you're getting at.
Posted by Erin Alecto at May 27, 2007 05:54 PMThe comment shared is from the same as Socordad shared in the main post. Sure showed the DCCC's thinking on the great funding bill they just sent the president. I know I'm thankful the troops get the money they need to continue the surge. I'm also thankful as Ms. Hasselbech noted: telling the opponent what play you're going to run in 2 seconds isn't very wise, wasn't attached to it.
It's a great thing if you can't afford them high. Isn't it a problem for those that believe in man made climate change? More easily available gas? Me, don't believe that the .12% of co2 that we people contribute amounts to anything close to effecting the climate. The .5 degrees celsius that the earth has warmed directly relates to the same temperature climb on mars.
No one has responded to Rep. Obey's latest moves. Nor anything about the use of "friend's planes" for travel after the Speaker of the whole House changed the rules in January. Seems to me I heard a phrase "culture of corruption" around here a lot in the past. Abramoff and Delay, friends? Abramoff and Ney, friends? Cunningham and the defense contractor, friends? Sure seems that relaxing the travel rules opens the doors to more friendly activity that you and me would never be able to get away with. Nothing's been done about Jefferson, wondering about Manohan in WV. Murtha's attack on a fellow Congressman, the vote, and the following apology from Congressman Murtha.
Posted by peter at May 27, 2007 07:28 PMlike big brother says: Funding the War is Ending the War
Posted by at May 28, 2007 12:14 AMMal needs information. Didn't Tony Blah step down early out of his term because the public demanded it? Shouldn't Gordon Brown step IN without an election, to replace him? Seems so...Usually, leaders are elected, not replaced. Yet nobody says nothin' about the angry Brit public saying eff you to Tony.
Bush signed the National Security Act May 6 and nobody noticed. You know why? We've been under his dictatorship since he was PLACED in office in 2000 by the star chamber. Alas, it's the most luxurious dictatorship yet, we still have 'free' speech, aka the internet blogs like LC, Daily Kos, Raw Story...etc. That's to assauge us, guys; a lull before the crimping storm that'll be worse than WW2 in Europe because this will keep creeping and creeping upon us until we'll decide it's the usual way to live which means W's won, and we've lost. But we won't even notice! That's what keeps Amerika great!
We already know May 6 has taken effect: the Dems gave Bush a blank check. If that ain't unitary law, what is?
May God save the souls of the kids who died in Iraq and Afghanistan for the ego-driven twaddle that is Without Balls Bush.
Posted by Mal Feasance at May 28, 2007 04:26 AMPeter, you have the combined intelligence of Larry, Moe, and Curly Joe, the Three Stooges.
Posted by tempus at May 28, 2007 12:43 PM