Democrats Are "Scaredey" Cats

Dr. Weiner you column has not fallen on deaf ears. There has been nothing more disheartening than the decorum exuded by the newly elected majority in Congress. As you state, they have become "enablers" of this war by not doing what they were elected to do.
Of course, it looks like a Democrat will win the White House in 2008. But that is just supposition. During the last few national elections, a swing of 2 percent or so would have changed the outcome. Well, what if the Democrats win the popular vote AGAIN but don't win the Electoral vote in 2008. Therein lies the reason the Dems are blowing their best chance - not only to show defiance, independence and leadership - but to stop the illegal machinery of the GOP, which you rightly point out.
The reality is the Dems control the Congress and the State Houses across our nation. To modify this success to parlay these wins into 2008 could turn out to be a grave mistake. Even if it does produce a presidential win in 2008, the stakes are the billions of dollars and massive war deaths that continue to mount daily, weekly and annually.

Dusty Nathan

by Dusty Nathan (16 articles, 0 quicklinks, 8 diaries, 51 comments) on Wednesday, June 20, 2007 at 7:28:43 AM
 

Drunk Monkeys

When only millionaires run for office, only millionaires will be represented.

When machines count the votes, the people’s votes don’t count.

The Dempublicans are dangling another carrot with the investigation of election fraud (caging). Like Lucy with the football and us as poor Linus, we’re suppose to believe they’ll actually do anything about a crime that obviously involves millions of dollars and hundreds of people.

This coming from the same Dempublicans that throw the will of a vast majority of the people in a ditch by refunding and increasing an illegal occupation. The same Dempublicans who as of yet done next to nothing to have even one major crime figure in this criminal, ass-clown act we call our government even break a sweat! After six-years of being able to gather evidence of the blatant crimes committed they STILL need more time.

Well pardon me if I’m not getting excited.

Dempublican: Any Democratic Party Member that ignores the will of the people. Also see: liar, hypocrite, back-stabbing soulless whores

You can forget the 08' election. Enough people will abandon the Dempublicans because of their dismal performance to date to give the Republicans the White House. I absolutely believe this is by design. Both parties suck of the same MIC tit. The will of the people, the government by the people has long past been dead and buried. As long as there is no public funding of the elections, as long as there is no uniform verifiable voting system, as long as corporations are given the same rights as people, as long as 1% controls 98% of the wealth we'll never have the democratic/republic our Founding Fathers envisioned.

And you can forget about any Third Party. There is no way the entrenched powers will allow the system they have forged for the past 150 years to be changed without violent revolution, and the people of this country are too fragmented, too cowardly and too lazy for any action of that nature.

I don't really see anything good coming our way. Factions beyond just political are clashing with a collapsing environment, fading natural resources, mass extinction and population explosion that only divine intervention could stop. It is certain that no current political solution can stop it. They have about as much effect as a boxcar full of drunk monkeys.

by Mr M (4 articles, 0 quicklinks, 9 diaries, 1253 comments) on Wednesday, June 20, 2007 at 8:14:47 AM
 

An Alternate Possibility

Perhaps the Bushites and the Dems are having a battle of long range strategic positioning?

The Bushite junta wants to string their failed war out just long enough so they can hand the whole bloody stinking mess they've created over to the next administration to solve and therefore "share the blame" - the Neocons will then be able to say: "See? The Dems couldn't fix it either!"

Meanwhile (perhaps) the Dems WANT to let the Bushite's war continue and of course continue to fail, because the longer it continues and the MORE it fails - it drives more and more voters OUT of the Republican camp.

That of course is a cynical POV because it means both parties are willing to sacrifice US troops and large chunks of the budget to maneuver their party into a 'better' postion sometime in the near future. However the cynical view is about the ONLY view that makes any sense in D.C. anymore.

AND - perhaps "failure in Iraq" is not really failure from the POV of Bushite strategists. Their desire was/is to create an unstable powder keg in the middle east to act as fuel and reason for their wet dream of a 30-50 years of warfare in that region. Remember the Bushites are THE folks who profit massively from war - they are the makers of weapons and weapons systems, the are the private military contractors. The Bushites ARE the blood-drenched WAR PROFITEERS of myth and fable who see dollar signs everytime another conflict is ignited somewhere on the globe. They thrive on death and wholesale destruction. The Bushite agenda IS to drive disenfranchised youth of the Islamic world to become Jihadis because they will then furnish the raw material which will eventually equate to a better "return on investment" for the industries owned and operated by Bushites. Their real agenda is to transfer huge chunks of the US Treasury into their own bank accounts by selling what the US public will demand: protection from and terror and "terrorists".

by mrk * (0 articles, 0 quicklinks, 0 diaries, 296 comments) on Wednesday, June 20, 2007 at 11:27:48 AM
 

DR. BW

Well, I don't know if you and I qualify as "great minds," but I was putting the finishing touches on what turns out to be a somewhat parallel article this AM. When I saw and read yours, I decided to put mine aside for a while. I will put if up later today. Nice job on yours!

Hey mrk glad to see you and so many others using the name I coined for the Bush group in early 2002, the Bushites. I may already have mentioned that. Kind of welcome fun to see it elsewhere used by others.

Pete Bagnolo

mrk

by Professor Emeritus Peter Bagnolo (144 articles, 1 quicklinks, 95 diaries, 1310 comments) on Wednesday, June 20, 2007 at 1:05:35 PM
 

My God...

How truly far we have fallen from that dream of our forefathers and even from the days of FDR. You know the great Phsyicist Gödel, a good friend of Einstein's, when he was preparing to take his Citizenship exam in 1947, said and obsessed over what he says he found in our Constitution, "A fatal flaw" that could easily be exploited to destroy our freedoms and bring a Dictatorship into power. He was right on target, and it makes you wonder why anyone would want to destroy such a treasure. Or why it was never fixed.

I agree with you all, that there now is little hope for an end to the MCA of 2006 or the Patriot Act.

A sad time. Glad I am not a kid just starting out.

by Professor Emeritus Peter Bagnolo (144 articles, 1 quicklinks, 95 diaries, 1310 comments) on Wednesday, June 20, 2007 at 1:36:44 PM
 

WRITS OF MANDAMUS

I knew there was a very good reason to read this article.  The writ idea is one that needs to happen.  There has been a total failure of the vast majority of Congress, not just Democrats, to fulfill their constitutional duties.  Lets "writ" the a letter, sending them a message. 

It's not just Iraq, although that's more than enough, it's everything else - the dissolution of the Constitution; the failure to investigate stolen elections (e.g., 2004) and secure future elections; the dishonest budget tactics that defraud tax payers.

Ellis' idea is brilliant.  Lets "do."

by Michael Collins (88 articles, 13 quicklinks, 5 diaries, 328 comments) on Wednesday, June 20, 2007 at 2:05:08 PM
 

demos

If I was a republican running for the white house  I would sure be pointing out this fact to the voters.  You voted these folks in and they did not have the guts to stand up for the ideals of their voters.  Can you really expect them to to stand up if we need them  say in a real war or real emergency ?  I would have to say no.

by mike (0 articles, 0 quicklinks, 0 diaries, 89 comments) on Wednesday, June 20, 2007 at 2:52:22 PM
 

a possible candidate (and president)

is Michael Bloomberg. Keep an eye on him. (And no, that's not a recommendation from me, just an observation).

by Blue Pilgrim (0 articles, 3 quicklinks, 2 diaries, 998 comments) on Wednesday, June 20, 2007 at 5:26:31 PM
 

Pelosi needs a good talking to

She, along with the other Dems that don't have the courage to do their job, need to be reminded that by letting George Bush, Dick Cheney et  al  get away with what they have done....they are just as culpable.

If they REALLY want to win in 2008....then Impeach. 

All it takes is a SIMPLE majority in the House to take it to the Senate and the Dems  have that.   Everyone  knows that there aren't enough votes in the  Senate to  remove them from office,  but neverthless, they will be branded with the "I" word  forever in history.   

by patricia anderson (0 articles, 0 quicklinks, 0 diaries, 3 comments) on Wednesday, June 20, 2007 at 8:04:38 PM
 

WRIT OF MANDAMUS DOES NOT APPLY

A Petition for a Writ of Mandamus is a Motion to a Court of competent jurisdiction requesting an order from that court to a civil servant to perform a non-discretionary act or be held in contempt. The issue on appeal in almost all mandamus cases is whether the act in question is discretionary. If there is any room whatsoever for judgment on the civil servant's part, then the act is discretionary and mandamus is not a proper remedy. Mandamus is usually seen in such matters as where the property appraiser refuses to issue a tax deed although the statutory requirements for issuance have been met, or the jail refuses to release a defendant although his bail has been posted.

by W.M.L. (0 articles, 0 quicklinks, 0 diaries, 281 comments) on Wednesday, June 20, 2007 at 9:50:00 PM
 

I would agree with most of what you wrote...

... although as I think someone already pointed out, a writ of Mandamous cannot be used the way you propose, but that is incidental.

You have composed a very thoughtful critique of the Democrats first 6 months or so back in power. Someone better read this or something like it to them and they better get with the program.

In one of my recent articles on similar themes, I noted that I had no idea how to articulate the Democratic Party position on Iraq. Howard Dean and his folks need to come up with one. It is fine if individual senators or representatives have alternative viewpoints and plans, but the party should put one out there.

by Steven Leser (193 articles, 37 quicklinks, 32 diaries, 1298 comments) on Wednesday, June 20, 2007 at 10:00:56 PM