But all I could seem to do, this week, was contribute to everybody’s already acute demoralization by dwelling on the split in the Democratic Party between the grass roots and the leadership, made FINAL this week by the leadership.

I don’t think I’ve felt so bad since March 2003 and the invasion, with Bush & Cabal running the UN weapons inspectors out of Iraq and slaughtering some half a million innocent people.

This discussion has helped me to recover my more analytical self, and to regain some perspective. Thank you for that.

I just want to say one thing: When our Democratic leadership cries “we don’t have the votes,” we need to ask, “who’s fault is that?” If the American peoples’ votes were all counted in a way that everyone can see and understand, then Congress would be representative of the American people and would be acting in our interest. Our Democratic leadership supported the conversion of our election system to electronic voting run on “trade secret,” proprietary programming code, owned and controlled by rightwing Bushite corporations, in highly insecure, easily riggable voting machines and central tabulators.

That was the betrayal hidden beneath the radar of the American people in the same month as the IWR, October 2002. The main Democrat leading that fascist coup–secret vote counting!–was Sen. Christopher Dodd–the one who colluded with the biggest crooks in the Anthrax Congress (Tom Delay and Bob Ney) to get it done. Dodd is a real snake-in-the-grass, coming on all pious now, and against the Iraq War. Ha! But they all voted for it, and support it to this day.

Secret vote counting by rightwing Bushite corporations.

Everybody is sensing that SOMETHING IS VERY WRONG. And this is what it is. 75% of the American people opposed to the Iraq War and wanting it ended, and Congress votes to ESCALATE it–to give George Bush, for godssakes, another ONE HUNDRED-PLUS BILLION DOLLARS, in yet another “supplemental” bill, to kill more people in a war that never should have been.

Our leaders are no longer beholden to us. They are beholden to Diebold and ES&S and their far rightwing billionaire underwriters.

That IS the problem.

And it’s useless to complain until we do something about it.

It is not the only problem in our election system, but it is the coup de grace–the democracy-killer.

And everything our Democratic leadership says NOW is irrelevant. The IWR and the “Help American Vote Act” were one and the same coup.

A percentage here, a percentage there, a flipover of the vote where necessary–shaping Congress for the war profiteers on a bipartisan basis; putting the name ‘Democrat’ on people who are simply fascists (and sometimes good liars); giving the American people the illusion of democracy.

Oh, I think the American people surprised these bastards a bit in ‘06, trying to get themselves a real Congress. But what did we end up with? 60/40 for the war, whereas in 2002 it was 75/25. An improvement, but still. And the American people have surprised even me–who never lost faith in them–by their incredible resistance to war propaganda. 56% just before the war. 75% now!

It is to defeat this great, peace-minded, American progressive majority that Diebold/ES&S secret vote counting was devised.

So, when our Congressional leaders tell us “we don’t have the votes,” bats fly out of their mouths. Even the ones who spout antiwar rhetoric, and piously vote against the latest lard for the war profiteers, are lying.

http://tinyurl.com/2kmyrq

It’s not complete, yet, but it’s a start. And, it’s depressing.
K

selise @ 113

The rule that provided for consideration of the supplemental included language that guaranteed that in September the House will vote – again – on Mr. McGovern’s language mandating a withdrawal date.

This, I understand. Why oh why couldn’t the Dem leadership have explained the political realities honestly like this, instead of just saying “it’s a victory!”? I suspect that fully half of the outrage and anger that I feal is because the Dems were lying about what happened by saying it was some great success, rather than saying the truth — it was a defeat, but not a total one so have hope?

Thank you, McGovern’s PR man. More of this, please.

I agree. I also called McGovern’s office on the day of the vote and congratulated them on getting the bill voted on, even though it ultimately was defeated. They sounded happy that someone noticed. We need to find a way to reward the Reps that are giving us straight talk and working behind the scenes to do the right thing.

brendan @ 167

You looked at his link and were dismissive of it, defending Feinstein by implication. Feinstein’s not all bad, but she’s been bad on the war, and it’s worth amplifying, particularly now, that she and her spouse feed at the trough.

Thanks raven. I probably could have picked a better link. Googling her name with war profiteer yields 64,400 hits. Maybe there’s SOMETHING to this issue, ya think.

Google “George Bush” wonderful president hero. You get 571,000 hits. Your point?

http://scorpionbowl.blogspot.c…..rwell.html

just out of curiosity… help me here… anybody know WTF kind of name “Steny” is? seems to be at least as fabricated as his hair-hive-ho…

And remember this: It’s a fact that Reid and Schumer lied and deceived everone to keep Lieberman in. They specifically worked to keep OUT another anti-war vote! WHY?

Knut Wicksell says:
May 25th, 2007 at 9:55 am

Hey to Knut in Sedona, from Sedona:
This is actually Rick Renzi’s district, (#13 on the most corrupt list!), who’d have been thrown out long ago but for an administration who packed the FEC and judiciary with citizens who unfortunately are dead blind on their Right side.
Also only the property owners are wealthy and they like Renzi don’t live here!

He buys his seat with 98% of his money coming from out of state. Our Az Daily Star listed his contributors as:
(and this is hysterically true)

“…Peabody Coal ..blah.. blah..(all big corporations)…and …1 guy from Flagstaff”!)

Back to the main subject…how do we help Gov. Dean and Russ Feingold, who work the 50
state strategy to find good progressive candidates, without helping the Schumers, Hoyers and Emanuels
????

The rule that provided for consideration of the supplemental included language that guaranteed that in September the House will vote – again – on Mr. McGovern’s language mandating a withdrawal date.

This, I understand. Why oh why couldn’t the Dem leadership have explained the political realities honestly like this, instead of just saying “it’s a victory!”? I suspect that fully half of the outrage and anger that I feal is because the Dems were lying about what happened by saying it was some great success, rather than saying the truth — it was a defeat, but not a total one so have hope?

Thank you, McGovern’s PR man. More of this, please.