it's time to be good friends to our Senators

A good friend tells you when you're wrong, and it's time to be good friends to our Senators. Any Senators who voted to "censure" MoveOn.org for an ad which raised legitimate concerns about the Bush Administration's politicization of the military simply blew it. They rubber-stamped the right wing's effort to paint sensible discourse as out-of-bounds while validating (by not censuring) extreme right wing abuses.

 

Here are just a few examples of outrages our Senators chose not to censure: Ann Coulter advocates executions to "intimidate liberals," writes books accusing Democrats of "Treason," and chides terrorists for not blowing up the NY Times Building. Rush Limbaugh claims liberals want people to get AIDS and openly advocates anti-gay bigotry and racism. Bush and Cheney warned that a vote for a Democrat would invite "mushroom clouds" over our cities. Republican TV spots morphed Democrats including then-Senator Max Cleland into bin Laden. Our Senators took no action. No resolutions condemning these attacks on our national character.

MoveOn deserves better treatment than the Senate gave Sen. Joe McCarthy! It can't be that MoveOn's Petraeus / Betray Us ad was less acceptable than Republican hate speech. MoveOn was far more generous than Petraeus' immediate boss Admiral William Fallon who called him an "ass kissing chickens***." It's self-defeating for Democrats to intimidate MoveOn. This vote is politically tone-deaf. It is dangerous for the U.S. government to attack citizens participating in legitimate discourse. The Senate voted to condemn Americans who have been correct about Iraq rather than the Bush Administration which lied us into war. Polls show Congress dropping toward a single digit.

 

James Carville wrote (seeking donations for the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee):

Dear Mike,

I want to let you in on a not-so-secret secret: George Bush ain't the decider. Not anymore.

We're the deciders, and we don't need to wait until November 2008 to decide to strengthen our stick-thin majority in the Senate. Republicans have to defend Twenty twoincumbents whose records are, frankly, indefensible. On top of that, there are three seats that are wide open. We've already got some amazing candidates, and Chuck Schumer is out there recruiting more each day.

It's our job - heck, it's our patriotic duty - to make sure those candidates have everything they need to get themselves elected to the Senate. As a dedicated Democrat, you know what an important time this is.

[snip]

Come next November, we're going to reap what we sow. Like I said, we're the deciders. Let's decide now to plant the seeds for a big victory.

It's on,

James Carville