Like an overindulgent parent, the Democrats are once again preparing to write a big check to stop George from whining. After ongoing assurances that there would be no funding for Iraq this year and no funding without a date to begin withdrawing troops.
As the AP reports:
What happened?
"Republicans, Republicans, Republicans," said Jim Manley, spokesman for Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev. "The real problem here is the president and his Republican backers" who have "staked out an increasingly hard-lined position."
(snip)
The war money would not be tied to troop withdrawals, as Democrats want. But it would let Democrats wrap up their long-unfinished budget work and go on vacation before Christmas. It also would spare them from criticism during the holiday recess by President George W. Bush for leaving work without providing money for the troops.
The AP account includes an interesting tidbit:
Without the money, the Department of Defense said it would start delivering pink slips to thousands of contractors this month. (emph added)
Now there’s a scary threat! Then again, with Blackwater’s new friendly rebranding, it would be a shame to send them pink slips, eh?
Lurch nails the whole sorry tale:
Mr Hulse’s article speaks with some authority: the Dems will do their face-saving little dance of responsibility before the cameras and then cave as they wring their hands so helplessly, just as they have done oh so many times before to this coward and bully.
Of course, like the spoiled brat he is, George immediately began to whine again – threatening a veto since the funds are tied to higher domestic spending.
Somehow I’m betting George will get everything on his wishlist for Christmas.
If you’d like to give Congress some parenting lessons, click on Selise’s contact lists and let them hear from you.
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Siun!
It is sooo infuriating that they continue to capitulate on the burning issue… 8-(
I resemble that. But he’s on his way to Austin, TX. Hope for the best.
Defund this F*ckery, NOW!!!
Siun
How’s your Iraki friend? Her live blog with us several months ago was one of my most powerful experiences in these times.
I think we should change Steny’s name.. How about Stenchy, for war stench?
I don’t get it–the Dems know that the majority of Americans want an end to this war. It seems to be a no-brainer to de-fund the war. The Dems should have no problem with this. Yet time and again they cave. Do you suppose all the phone calls, emails, faxes and letters get through to them? I feel like we are talking to a brick wall.
MIC MIC MIC, it’s all about MIC money.
Beltway Bubble & Fraidy Cats. Think they’ll look weak if they defund the war.
eCAHNomics December 9th, 2007 at 6:10 pm
Maryam’s continuing to run her refugee camps and orphanages.
What’s MIC money?
I’m trying to answer someone who asked what some bloggers find objectionable about Biden. I can’t seem to remember any specifics, just the vague recollection that he’s hostile to the netroots. I recall some discussion of the matter here. Do you have any links that could jog my memory? I tried searching the site, but got pages of links entitled “Sunday Talking Head Thread”.
Bless her.
Is there ever a Sunday we don’t digg our beloved Siun?
Boob tube time, followed by retiring. Good nite to all, and to all a good nite.
Military Industrial Complex
So people, at what point do progressives stop pussyfooting around, stop waiting for an entrenched, conservative DNC leadership to stop being what they are – bought and sold by the corporations – and retrench? When do we just accept that, as progressives, we’re pretty much done in D.C. for the next decade.
What will it take for us to give up on the Two-Party hegemony altogether and start a third party? A new third party, with no baggage.
It will take twenty, thirty years. Its members will be excoriated as the worst sorts of traitors. It will be laughed at. It will be treated illegally and unfairly. It will be subject to violence.
But you know what? It will win. Because a progressive, populist party is the only thing that CAN win in this environment.
The Democrats have shown time and time again that they too are bought and sold by the corporations that control our nation. We could try to fix the Democratic party, and maybe we should. Or maybe it’s too late, and maybe it’s time to look a generation out and start building something that can replace the corrupt, traitorous regime that currently holds our nation in thrall.
This morning on CNN, John Boehner was allowed on by himself to bash Dems with no response. None. Blitzer just let him spew the talking points with barely a follow up. Boehner claimed the Dems were wasting money. The nerve of that guy!
He should have been asked why Bush keeps coming back for money every few months. Doesn’t he know how to budget a year at a time?
The very thing Ike warned us about in his Farewell speech… 8-(
1. No viable candidate.
2. Big debate on whether you should change D party or form a 3rd. Latter fails bigtime on no 3rd party ever successful in U.S. for a variety of reasons, including winner-take-all. Being a pragmatist, I’ll try to change the D party.
Edited for accuracy.
Aloha, eCAHN!
Bankruptcy bill.
Biden (D-MBNA)
First the electoral college has to be eliminated. As long as it exists, no third party candidate will ever win the WH. Seats in congress are possible, and that’s where efforts should be focused.
I am so sick and tired of this f*ckery! A pox on both of their houses.
I sort of “came out” to my new congregation this morning and talked about how our country is resembling Germany in the early 1930’s and how frightened I feel about it all. We have so much work to do to reclaim the Constitution that was fought for and died for in the late 1700’s and all our current elected officials from both parties care about is how to cash in and/or maintain the power they have.
I’ve now roused many in the congregation to get active. Would that there was something concrete we could do to combat the immorality of all that is currently going on.
I know. . . . marathon not a sprint . . . . but there is so much to do it seems insurmountable.
Re third parties, we need to get the Republicans out of the White House first. Then we can consider a third party and have 4 years to build it. The problem to date with third parties is that they show up as part of a Presidential election cycle, and when that cycle is over, so pretty much are they.
i like howie klein’s plan.
Thanks for the reminder about the bankruptcy bill, Jane.
evening all … and thanks Guides team for the word on Maryam.
For all the talk of “success” conditions in Iraq for Iraqis continue to be dreadful – and it’s important that we keep noting that.
Most excellent strides on your part, RevDeb! *g*
the current problem seems to be that we don’t even have 2 parties. If both are sanctioning torture, covering over illegalities, refusing to hold anyone accountable, how do we find a difference between them?
The war money would not be tied to troop withdrawals, as Democrats want. But it would let Democrats wrap up their long-unfinished budget work and go on vacation before Christmas. It also would spare them from criticism during the holiday recess by President George W. Bush for leaving work without providing money for the troops.
Oh, the horror! Having to spend a holiday season gettin’ whined at by a pissy prezzy.
Oh, and I want a vacation before Christmas too. Can I have about a week for New Year’s too, please?
I hope you’ll forgive me for wanting to just quit the whole damned thing and start over.
“Thanks for the inspired leadership, Harry, Nancy.”
i think third parties can make sense in local elections in some parts of the country (see ma) that are very blue.
How’s your son, Jay?
What good does it do to vote for Democrats when they do crap like this? And what kind of recess appointments are we going to get this time?
btw, don’t miss both of these posts from Lurch at Main and Central:
Feckless Leaders
and his great rant today:
Fighting Back
also essential reading is Saba Ali’s post at Gorillas Guides:
Scenes From An Iraki Childhood Fleeing The al-Duwailiya Massacres
All that and preferential voting.
We went through this earlier today. It is the difference between crooks and cowards. It’s not a great choice, but you go to the polls with the choices you have not those you would like.
And by all means let’s let the senators go off and party while W. anoints another crop of incompetent, evil recess appointees. Bravo Reid. You win a prize—booby that is.
term limits for every office
term limits for the supremes
public financing of all elections
no lobbying allowed by corporate entities
no lobbying by ex gov officials
shrink the DOD 75%
ban private contractors working in national security or DOD
GET MONEY OUT OF POLITICS COMPLETELY
money made me do it.
up to us to make it so.
but that starts with acknowledging what’s really going on now with our party (’course i’m still trying to figure that one out, but it’s not looking very good)
What was their reaction to your fears? If some are moved to action it sounds very good, but did they agree with the comparison to Germany? I certainly agree with you.
Things are not getting any better. There’s the al-Duwailiya massacres for example.
And what makes us think that the cowards we are dealing with aren’t crooks too? Probably on a smaller scale than the rethugs, but crooks none the less.
Selise – thank you for the contact files – I hope everyone puts them to very good use.
Good!! (thanks for asking) He came over today, all on his own – stayed about three hours. He seems like himself again; we’ve got plans in place now to deal with the things that were bothering him.
I’m a happy guy tonight.
i’m not so sure…. they’re not cowards when it comes to dissing us.
another possibility is that they really are playing on the same team, with some playing good cop and some playing bad cop.
in any event, the village is not a monolith.
RevDeb, what was the reaction, if any. Can you tell if your congregation is more liberal than conservative? I know the Unitarian Universalists (sorta my religious home, to the extent I have one) would mostly agree with you.
YAY, Preview works!!
And by all means let’s let the senators go off and party while W. anoints another crop of incompetent, evil recess appointees. Bravo Reid. You win a prize—booby that is.
There’s no plan in place this time to keep the Senate open? Short-term memory loss or mere incompetence?
What a maroon.
basically the constitution has been bent to the corporations.
We have a fig leaf democracy which runs for the corporate and the wealthy. They own it and it serves THEIR needs.
We need to fix the constitution big time because the parties are now corrupted by money and power. Both of the stink and the repubs simply are more successful at serving themselves AND their main constituency – the wealthy. The dems serve themselves and screw the people.
One tiny step forward and ten giant leaps backward.
Awesome! Glad to hear it! 8-)
No but we need some way to assess what is going on in Washington and if we fragment it too much we lose the big picture. I believe we need to see both the general and the specific. The Democrats as a party have been awful anytime these last 7 years but the Republicans have been far worse.
you are most welcome. *g*
and i just found a list (hope i book marked it!) with a table (easy to add to a spread sheet) with every senator’s communications director. i’m going to add them to the files as soon as i get the chance. thought it might help to have a name to ask for when we call.
if anyone has any suggestions for additions or changes to the lists, please let me know.
I used quotes from Milton Mayer and then from Naomi Wolf (and Wm. O. Douglas) that sounded eerily alike. Essentially the message was that there will be no precipitating event to bring everyone out in the streets. The erosion of our freedoms is well under way and it is up to us to step up and get active. There is no leader that will save us and make everything all right. As I’ve said here before and for a long time, we are the leaders we are waiting for.
My guess is that most of them are subliminally aware of what is going on. I just said it out loud and affirmed what they were feeling. I invited further conversation and organizing for those who were interested. There are probably a couple dozen people who want to get active. Only one couple that I know of that reads blogs so far.
Don’t know if that answers your question or not.
The veritable paradigm, ‘…the lesser of two evils!’
See as much as I believe RevDev is a progressive I resent the use of the pulpit for politics… exactly the right wing strategy and why they get to preach their message to a captive submissive audience each week.
Politics and religion don’t mix and the left shouldn’t do what the right does… use religion for politics.
TROOPS
HOME
NOW
This is not a complicated concept, Democrats, and it’s the reason you were elected.
Just do your damn job and end this stupid occupation before it goes even more wrong on the next President’s watch. Is that what you want? Is it?
Very much so.
Most Americans know that tune, and all you’ve go to do is hum a few bars. The person in the street gets it, but the media still don’t.
Slightly OT – I saw a tremendous, powerful documentary film last night: Body of War, about a young man who was shot in the spine on his 5th day in Iraq, and what his life is like paralyzed from the chest down. It was produced by Phil Donahue, who was present at the screening and introduced the film (there’s no doubt where HE stands!!). It hasn’t been picked up by a distributor yet, but already has been mentioned for an Oscar. Interludes in between scenes of the young man and his family are a roll call of senators who voted in favor of the war. Damning. Every congresscritter ought to be required to see this film.
Yes, it does. Thank you.
Ministers of different stripes spoke out against slavery. That was political.
No, it’s not hard to grasp… and 66% of the electorate want it…!
Hey, stranger! It’s been awhile…! ;-)
i’m not sure about the far worse. (of course, it may be that i’ve lost the big picture). what have the dems accomplished as a party in control of congress this year? haven’t they capitulated to president bush almost as much (and in some cases more) than the republican congress did?
… don’t want to neglect the very good work that some dems have been doing. but it’s hard for them when they don’t have the support of party leaders.
The only activity which will work is direct action and work strikes and so forth.
As long as people play like they are told to submissively there will be no heed by the pols to the people.
Americans have proven remarkably submissive and serve their masters and not their commons every time.
Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr. spoke out in favor of civil rights. That was political.
I don’t like politics from the pulpit. It offends me.
Have to say – when I look at the reports – day in and day out – in the Iraqi press, I don’t see “improvements” and I sure don’t see a difference in the actions of either party. We have to demand that that change – rather than giving the leadership a pass, or bowing to the lesser of arguments.
There are a number of progressive blogs written by ministers or groups of ministers. They are very good and wonderful to read.
My faith tradition honors the prophethood of all believers. If we don’t speak out about injustice and work to hold on to our freedoms there will be no religion except that which is sanctioned by the state—and ours most certainly will not be one of those.
Any organizing to actually do anything political that is to take place will be done outside of the church, I’ve made that quite clear.
Particularly from the ‘Bully Pulpit’ with this current Preacher… ;-)
There is a difference between politics from the pulpit and doing the right thing for humankind. If people are undermining the ability for others to eat, etc. isn’t working to change that more than simple politics?
Of course, the actual numbers of deaths in Iraq caused by the Bushies sneak attack is a secret. Everything is a secret to them. But there is likely more than a million murdered Iraqis.
How many millions dead does it take, for mass murder to become a “holocaust”?
In think MLK’s was speaking for himself and not his church, but he seemed to have learned his speaking skills from being a preacher.
There have been many progressives from within the church. And why shouldn’t people of faith have sensible political beliefs?
I am still troubled by using the power of the pulpit for political objectives. They are not always on the left as we well know.
having been indoctrinated in a fundamentalist “christian” church when I was a kid, and having gone to a couple of liberal churches (although not RevDeb’s), and knowing RevDeb a bit – I am quite sure that there is a whole world of difference between a pastor who gets up and tells the congregation what “GOD” is saying they must do and think and a pastor who speaks truly from her own heart and her own experience while encouraging her congregation to do likewise.
our spiritual lives are not separate from our visions of justice.
Does anyone have the sense, as I do, that Irakis are waiting for the inevitable end to the surge before they fight again to take back their country? Today’s WaPo discussion of extending the 15-month already-extended troop stays makes me wonder if our military “leadership” senses the calm before the storm, and is trying to “plan” accordingly.
Sorry if I’m dense, but is the reference to the press as “The Village” a reference to the eponymous M. Night Shyamalan movie?
If so, it is so fitting.
How do you make the blue bar show up on the left of a quote?
The Iraqi occupation will end in one of two ways.
Saigon redux
or glassification of the desert by S&A 2 and a rather nasty genocide of the few who haven’t fled the country.
Mary, hit the reply button, then copy what you want to quote
then click the quotation marks on the comment box, put the cursor between the two “blockquotes” and paste the comment you are quoting.
OT: Glenzilla has an update to today’s post:
It should go without saying that their oath of office to support the Constitution trumps they oath of secrecy. They have an affirmative obligation to report crimes by the agencies they are overseeing, just like healthcare administrators have an affirmative obligation to report patient abuse. Failure to report is a felony and I know at least one such administrator who has a conviction and has lost her license. Harmon, Pelosi, and Rockefeller should be impeached!
i don’t know who started using the term “the village” or where it came from. i think it picked it up from atrios. here’s a definition that describes how i used it:
Use the quote feature in the toolbar at the top of the response window. Click on the quote marks (”) and insert the text you want to quote between the “blockquote” html code.
Hey Sander … what’s the basis of your position there?
marymccurnin
<blockquote> stuff here </blockquote>
Hit the quotation mark in the message menu and paste your quote in the middle…
“S&A” ??
TAADAA!?
Copy, Reply, Quotation Mark, Paste, type and submit… *g*
we’ve talked a lot about how the dems in congress act like charley brown to the republican’s lucy.
but i think a more accurate picture is where i play charley brown and the dems in congress play lucy.
every time they promise to hold the line on spending to continue the iraq occupation, i can’t help be be a little bit hopeful that this time they really mean it.
What I do is “select” the text, then click on the ” symbol on the comment toolbar.
Hear. Hear.
I sure would like to believe that.
I will never be disappointed by the dems again. I will never buy into their bullshit again.
Biden lost me years ago when caught red-handed when a speech he gave he claimed he wrote was completely plagarized from another author. Plagarist Biden may have matured over the years of representing a relative small state but he isn’t and never will convince American voters he is presidential timber.
wigwam – it would be interesting to see if there’s a way for citizens to prosecute
I don’t see W bending to a withdrawal as in… we lost and left with tail between our legs.
They want the oil and they will never defeat an insurgency so the the winning strategy is more shock and awe with several nukes so that there is nothing left to fight over. Most of the people will have left as refugees.
Or the next administration will just pull out as we did in Nam… the tribes will fight on.
Oh, selise, that’s a whole ‘nother level of peanuts.
Will out great DOD accept another one in the LOST column?
OT-CSPAN, now-rerunning the Obama Iowa visit from yesterday.
Even the good dems seems to have failed us… like conyers unless he has something coming in 08.
Tonight I’m thinking of my friend Mohammed Ibn Laith who is one of the people who writes on “Guides,” here’s how he spent the night of his 16th birthday
In the year since then:
* Both his parents have been killed in the Arba’een massacres.
* His elder brother Hussayn died in a cascade bombing as he and his rescue team ran to help the survivors of a bombing.
* Mohammed, his sister, and his younger brother Ali (aged 8) were wounded in the al-Qhilani bombing.
Mohammed also is part of a bomb surivors rescue team in February before his family were effectively wiped out he wrote this description of what it was like to be a member of such a team. Some of you might remember this: What will we talk about today you and I?
He points the finger for what was done to his family fairly and squarely where it belongs. At America. If you scroll through his writings you’ll come to this The Targeted Individual Had Not Been Killed Or Captured During The Clashes:
and to this:
When he and young Irakis say about America and Americans :
He means it and that surge that everyone is busy saying was so effective is over all it managed to do was set fire to the central and southern governorates – the ones that control access to Baghdad.
Note to eCahnomics
I’ve known Mohammed since very shortly after he was born. He’s Maryam’s nephew.
Shock & Awe, I think…
Pelosi, Harmon, and Rockefeller had an obligation to oversee. By way of analogy, members of a corporate board of directors have an obligation to oversee the behavior of the corporation, and can be personally sued if their fail to appropriately discharge that obligation. Democrats who knew of crimes in the agencies they oversee should be criminally and civilly liable for failure to discharge that obligation. In any case, the voters should crucify them (figuratively of course).
GorillasGuides – thank you for honoring Mohammed’s birthday with your comment.
I assume that S&A2 means “Shock and Awe 2″? Dunno..just guessing.
Personally, I’m still hoping for an impeachment. I know the odds are totally against that, but here’s to hoping. Maybe somebody do us a favor and film shrub in bed for a threesome that includes Condi.
Thanks, selise.
http://www.nytimes.com/aponlin…..te.html?hp
Let’s see…
Copy, Reply, Quotation Mark, Paste, type and submit… *g*
Try again.
LOL Siun, so true, great video! it’s plain to see how dysfunctional most of our government really is. especially after that video analogy.
Unless he’s been leashed by the leadership. I keep getting that impression quite often. Leahy and Waxman have made even more noise, but they can’t do much more than the letters when DOJ refuses to enforce anything outside the WH’s whims. They COULD bring charges but they’d just sit there. Mukasey might prove to be different, but i’m not holding my breath. He’s just as likely to sit on anything brought to him until the term is over with.
i have nothing to say… but thank you for writing that, i am grateful to know what is true.
Flex @ 110 – thank you! it just hit me as so appropriate …
esp since we hire these clowns
Democrats with blood on their hands are subject to blackmail. And, according to Bruce Fein, Pelosi has warned Conyers that he’ll be relieved of his chairmanship if he opens an impeachment inquiry. ’nuff said.
Some of you might remember this:
Oh yeah, I do. I printed it out and passed it around to some people who “needed” to read it.
thanks you for this.
He should call her bluff. If she takes away his chairmanship then she looks worse than ever. Perhaps she doesn’t care how she looks.
when i first heard that i call speaker pelosi’s office and asked for a confirmation or denial. as per usual, i got neither.
He plagiarised Neil Kinnock leader of the Labour Party in the UK. Word for word he plagiarised it.
Works for me…! ;-)
Somebody needs to ask Pelosi publicly: does your promise not to impeach hold no matter what the president does? if not, then where do you draw the line? Precisely what act of presidential malfeasance would cross your birght line test for impeachment?
Biden also adores the Iraq partition plans … he’s probably jealous Hillary got OHanlon as her advisor!
That is sickening… There’s so many avenues to pursue… Where does one start…? But start we must…! 8-(
I’m so sick of this bullshit! In other years, I could at least understand these asshole’s concerns — being branded wussies who are weak on defense. But now, with this dumb assed war, they will only be branded as smart and gutsy to stand up to Fucktard and refreshingly delivering on their promises (which got them elected in the first place) and just plain right. Why don’t they want that. Yeah, I undrstand that ther are a bunch of pretty right-wing reps who call themselves Democrats. But that’s where leadership comes in. Reid I really never had high hopes for. But Pelosi — I expected much more.
Blub – good idea.
So is there some way we can call out Pelosi?
Over and over until she answers. And how many dead Iraqis and Afghanis is enough to cut off funding the massacres?
Hello dear Siun and Gorilla Guides team: Thanks for another great post and for the information about the al-Duwailiya massacre. (And thanks, to Elliott for the Digg reminder). As always, I look forward to Siunday.
If they are not fighting the neocons then they are in bed with them. And I don’t see any dems fighting them. Well, maybe two or three.
Biden had been touting that as “his” plan. It might be the right thing but I don’t think it’s right for the US to dictate it to the Iraqis. They have to do it – or whatever else – on their own. I don’t mind helping them with aid. But the troops being there does nothing to help us. Gotta bring ‘em home.
Particularly, when the Rightards got their worst wish, the gavel in her hands…
Lynn Woolsey. Barbara Lee.
I think it’s important that we let Lynn Woolsey and Barbara Lee know we’ll support them if they fight this … they’ve been beat down so often by the leadership
It should have been a dead give away when she picked Stenchy (I like that) and Rahmbo to be her henchmen. Someone said something once about a fish rotting from the head ?????
zactly, CT. i remember my sister in law going nuts the first time the seargent at arms announced at a State of the Union speech– “Madam Speaker!” Oh, for the days when we were hopeful.
Cindy
or another question for Madame Speaker: if things get so bad with shrub that the rethugs in Congress draft articles of impeachment, will you support ‘em? :P
Is Cindy still in the race? I haven’t heard anything from/about her in quite a while.
707! Did she actually file?
i like that one.
might also donate some $ to code pink for their vigil outside speaker pelosi’s home.
Conyers that he’ll be relieved of his chairmanship if he opens an impeachment inquiry. ’nuff said.
Why is Pelosi so adamant about this position? Has she explained herself? Surely it cannot really be the claim about her husband making so much money; myself will not believe that yet. But what do they not get that the country is tired of this war?
I read a piece in our paper on the Viet Nam comparison. That the country was tiring of the war, but it took another 5-7 years to end it. In this case, then like 2012. AS above we have ruined the Iraq country, their lives. God knows what we are doing to the Middle East.
It may be that we cannot be directly political from the pulpit. But teaching of justice, righteousness etc. is essential, as well as how we live in community and in peace. I have wished that the countries religious leaders would be much more vocal. I know some denominations and clergy have written letters, etc. One is circulating on the web to gather signatures. The pro death penalty, longing for the Rapture fundamentalists do not own the public square or the only vision for the future.
I sometimes work in a setting where there are a number of underprivileged kids; yes, they are almost the only people I know who have family in Iraq. That is not justice.
The book discussion yesterday had quite a bit about hope/optimism etc. Generally, I am perfect hopeful/confident. I do not think we are setting out a promising future for either Iraq (whatever is left) or for our own country. We have preposperous debt, made lots of enemies (among those we didn’t kill), and we are building walls on our borders to keep out our neighbors. What country is this?
Someone might also ask her what gives her the right to recind part of the nation’s constitution?
She actually wanted Murtha. It was her first loss-even before she had children on her lap.
Is Cindy still planning to primary Pelosi?
gw – I too find the conversations here to completely disrupted… unless everyone learns the copy/paste trick, I’m afraid that will continue… I seriously miss “Quote this comment”…
Not term limits: that’s one reason why we vote at all. We always have the option to vote against (or at least not vote for) the incumbent.
I remember the Murtha todo. I wonder how much of that was kabuki? I just don’t know any more.
Teddy has Late Nite upstairs
suzanne beat me http://firedoglake.com/2007/12…..bee-voter/
Old Coastie, CTuttle just taught me.
1. Copy the part of the comment you want to quote (the old highlight and edit to copy)
2. Hit the reply button
3. Hit the ” button under Leave your response
4. Put the curser between the two blockquote< thingies<br />
5. Edit to Paste
6. Type your comment
7. Hit the Submit Comment bar
even Wonkette is catching on.. they ask the question: “If the Democrats in Congress knew about the CIA’s destruction of torture tapes and did nothing about it, why do conservatives hate the Democrats so much?”
one can extend that question to any number of issues….
I agree. With term limits we’d have NO Waxman, Leahy, Feingold.
If we can’t get them to remember why we voted for them, how they got to the chairs they’re warming with their backsides, can we remind them, get them to notice, that we can throw them out into the cold cruel world again?
I also want the ones who keep folding every time George has a hissy fit (or, being George, a pissy fit) reminded that this isn’t what they’re elected to do, and we will kick them out of the party if they forget what they promised they’d do if we voted for them.
Oh yes, and a pony – after the impeachments.
Speaking as an outsider I don’t see any difference between Democrats and Republicans.
To be fair, I still do. The former is spineless. The latter is criminal.
We don’t need term limits. We need to get people to vote and to clean up the voting process like making it work properly.
Would you want your doctor to be limited by the amount of time she/he can practice? We need experienced, thoughtful politicians not people who can afford to take of the time to run for office. Vote the fuckers out if you don’t like them. Take to the streets if your vote is not counted.
Not these days, at least. There HAVE been differences though. And there are those Democrats who are in office now and those of us who ARE Democrats, who vote and work for peace and tear our hair out now. More of us need to be in office.
They’re both right wing parties, granted one is extreme right. They’re both pro exploitation of labour and everyone else be a tiny wealthy minority. They’re both imperialists and they’re both pro-torture. it’s more a question of shading I think blub than of serious differences.
Edwards is the most electable democrat that is the furthest away from the republican point of view.
Right-wing is true, but most folk don’t realize/accept that. Here’s an article that gave me a spot of hope:
http://washingtonbureau.typepad.com/cairo/
A U.S. basketball player now on a Cairo team…catch what he’s reading: Chomsky and Malcolm X. YES! And he’s traveling. We need more young people out in the world, realizing that the U.S. is neither the center of the universe, nor the holder of all good ideas, and discovering the worlds of thought beyond the limits of our own social systems.
Which reminds me – you asked about if there was anything practical that you could do in your professional capacity.
Try asking ISLAMIC RELIEF USA they’re very reputable and part of the wider Islamic Relief group of charities. If they can’t use your help they’ll know somebody who does.
The other people you could ask are the U.S. section of Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) they have a programme in Amman (Jordan) run IIRC by an Australian that involves trauma including psychological work. Even if not able to help directly with that you can be sure that MSF will at some point be able to find a use for your skills.
Thank you so very much. I shall do that right away. (By the way, I hope my constant pitching for the Red Crescent on your site isn’t a bother…I figure if it’s getting too much, I won’t get the comment through, yes?) (And I also figure that the team is exercising journalistic neutrality and not linking…but I get to just spout off–over and over again….)
ROFLOL Laura – a huge proportion of our team are Red Crescent people. We certainly don’t mind people plugging the Red Crescent. :-)
We plug them because while there are excellent charities who work in particular places such as INTERSOS in al-Basrah the Red Crescent is the only one who works everywhere in Irak.
Good. Then I shall continue to be a broken record in cheering you on and asking for money. (As I do just about everywhere I happen to be, these days, both virtually and physically). My best to you all, and good night!
Good morning :-)
LOL! I KNEW that! Blessings on your day!
Ding!