No, the Democrats didn't hold a meeting in Hollywood last week. That was only the Republicans fumbling in the dark. But Democrats shouldn't be so smug because Obama got re-elected and realize they too are in need of a serious overhaul.

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Democratic National Committee Chairman Tim Kaine by cliff1066 „

Democratic National Committee Chairman Tim Kaine

No, the Democrats didn't hold a meeting in Hollywood last week. That was only the Republicans fumbling in the dark.

But the Dems. shouldn't be so smug because Obama got re-elected and realize they too are in need of a serious overhaul.

Monday I wrote my take on the Republicans. Today I'll focus on the Democrats.

To begin with, none other than 21 Senate Democrats, 1 Republican and 1 independent voted in 2002 against giving George W. Bush the authority to invade Iraq. The majority of Senate Democrats (29) took the easy route and jumped on the Iraq war bandwagon, forever besmirching themselves in voting for the worst foreign policy disaster since the Viet Nam war.

What did the 23 know that the majority did not? That there were no WMD in Iraq (destroyed by the IAEA nuclear inspectors in the early 90's after the first Gulf war and not exactly secret information) and this was a war of choice (with Saddam Hussein posing no threat to the U.S., had no connection to 9/11 and was not in league with Osama bin Laden).

But that vote reflected the majority of Senate Dems. as weak kneed and pathetic, fearful to vote against the tide that was clamoring to go to war.

Yet it's more than that vote to go to war in Iraq.

Senate Democrats had a filibuster proof majority of 60 members after the 2008 election yet demonstrated their inability to take on Republican intransigence and obstructionism and then lost the election to replace Senator Ted Kennedy and their filibuster proof majority went up in smoke.

And as we all know, Senator Harry Reid, the Senate majority leader, had the chance to reform the antiquated filibuster rules with a majority vote when the new 2013 session opened but chose to meekly defend the current filibuster except for minor superficial changes.

Yet it's beyond the Senate where the Democrats are failing. Look at our current President Barack Obama and some of the issues involving him.

He failed to take on the financial industry and hold them accountable when it was clear they perpetrated the 2008 financial crisis and the resultant great recession.

Obama failed to hold the Bush mob accountable for perpetrating the Iraq war based on lies preferring to "move on" rather than looking back.

Obama's health care plan doesn't include a Medicare type single payer alternative that would take on the private health care industry, cover everyone while controlling the escalating health care costs that were (are) spiraling out of control and was a primary reason for putting health care reform on the table.

Obama has become the "assassinator in chief" targeting anyone for assassination, including American citizens and without due process.

Secret Justice Department memos continue to give "legal" cover for whatever the president decides to do, expanding the idea of the unitary executiveand immune from oversight by the Congress and the courts. He's essentially a dictator using the Constitution as a fig leaf rather than follow its dictates and abide by the rule of law. Only leaks to the New York Times and by Wikileaks have exposed the secret memos yet the administration admits nothing to their existence.

By virtue of the NDAA act signed in late December 2010, Obama can hold anyone indefinitely, including Americans, if he alone decides this course of action.       

He has escalated the use of drones in Pakistan, Yemen and Somalia as more innocents have been killed in drone strikes than all the years of the Bush administration.

And Obama has failed to take on the obstructionism of the Republicans preferring to accommodate rather than staunchly oppose their retrograde policies on taxes, the nonsense over the debt ceiling and agreeing to tinker with Medicare and Social Security, two government programs that actually work and are in need of no revision.

Obama has targeted whistle-blowers for prosecution rather than following up on the truth that is exposed by these patriotic Americans.

Joblessness, student debt, homelessness, mortgage default, foreclosures and the diminishing middle class have continued and expanded under Obama to say nothing of the crumbling infrastructure that continues to be neglected.

The bloated defense spending has not been reduced by Obama to reflect the actual threats facing the U.S. Yet defense spending takes up the majority of government spending.

Guantanamo remains open, precluding Obama's decision to close it within a year. That was in 2009.

So unless you're a Democrat "true believer" who refuses to look at the Democrats fairly and impartially, continue to blame the Republicans for everything that's wrong, refuse to indict weak kneed liberals and exonerate "blue dog" democrats for their obstructionism, then the problems and issues plaguing America will continue unabated thanks to Dems. and Repubs.

To this point I have said nothing about America's electoral process that keeps both Democrats and Republicans beholden to the big moneyed interests that essentially underwrite their campaigns. The Supreme Court's decision in "Citizens United" allowed corporations no limits to their donating to campaigns and further corrupting the political process. Unless it is overturned or amended our electoral system will continue to select those that refuse to reform it and the current governmental incompetence and obstructionism will continue business as usual.

From here it's reform, change or die. Only a new independent, progressive and reformist political party could honestly deal with the real problems and issues facing this country.

Such reform seems beyond the anachronistic Repubs. and Dems. as they benefit from the status quo.

And that's a formula for continued failure and incompetence by our government to serve the people. You know, of, by and for the people.

Authors Website: dglefc22733@aol.com

Authors Bio:
Retired. The author of "DECEIT AND EXCESS IN AMERICA, HOW THE MONEYED INTERESTS HAVE STOLEN AMERICA AND HOW WE CAN GET IT BACK", Authorhouse, 2009