"What I don't understand," I asked, "is what do you guys, you traditional Republicans, get out of encouraging us progressive Democrats to lead the fight in toppling the Bushies?"
RE-OPENING THE BIG CENTER
"I thought that would be self-evident," said Shallow Throat, with a you-really-have-to-ask? look thrown my way. "We're frozen out. The Hard Rightists, neo-con crazies and religious zealots have a total lock on power in the Republican Party. The only way we can ever hope for our more realistic and moderate candidates to get back into contention is to impeach or otherwise get rid of this destructive cabal. We'd prefer to do it ourselves but we're too weak right now. This time out, the Dems must take the lead in bringing them down.
"And you're convinced that the Bushies can be taken now, that they're that weak?" I asked.
"For sure. But with several important caveats. They may be dumb and incompetent, but they're not politically stupid, they're still in power, and they have few moral qualms. They see what you and I see, that they're in free-fall right now, and that they're no longer trusted or seen as occupying the moral/ethical high ground; they realize that unless they take some drastic action to stop that free-fall, they're going down -- with huge anchors tied around their necks: Iraq, Katrina, Libby, jobs, torture, widescale corruption, the conservative Establishment revealing even more of their mendacity and incompetence, etc.
BEWARE THE WALKING WOUNDED
"Which translates into: They will do anything, ANYTHING, to stave off their impending loss of power. If they feel they have to totally shift the focus, to distract the public from the Administration's self-created woes, they will act accordingly; launch an attack on another country; look the other way again as a large-scale terrorist attack (or public health threat) takes place inside the United States; kick their slime-machine into high gear against anyone who criticizes them. In short, don't take your eyes off the Busheviks for a second; they're wounded, cornered animals ready to do anything to strike out and escape the political noose -- and, not incidentally, likely criminal prosecutions down the line."
"But," I asked, "if the situation inside the Administration is so scary for those deemed 'disloyal,' why are you risking your neck to talk to me and get the word out to your ostensible political enemies?"
"The enemy of my enemy is my friend. The enemy for us all right now is the Bush bunker crew holding the reins of federal political power. We work together now to defeat them, we fight it out later in the good, old-fashioned, civil way we've always fought. Let the best ideas win -- not the biggest lies.
"Sure, I'm frightened of what might happen to me if I were caught talking with you. But, as I tried to emphasize in our discussion tonight, the objective conditions are now there for taking down this bumbling, vicious, greedy crew. Even if my own neck is at risk, at least I'll know I'd be helping take them down with me. Not a bad bargain."
And with that, Shallow Throat, wearing a calm, big grin, vanished into the night. I sat there sipping my Negra Modelo, feeling uplifted, warm, hopeful. #
Bernard Weiner, co-editor of The Crisis Papers (www.crisispapers.org), has conversed with the Shallow Throat character on numerous other occasions ( www.crisispapers.org/weinerpubs.htm#shallow ). Formerly a writer-editor with the San Francisco Chronicle, he has taught politics & international relations at various universities. To comment, write >> crisispapers@comcast.net <<.
Originally published by The Crisis Papers and Democratic Underground 11/8/05.
Copyright 2005 by Bernard Weiner.
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