Wednesday, November 08, 2006
Hubris Vanquished - "I Could've Danced All Night"
A Joyful Morning * Bullies and Buffoons Depart Center Stage
"The will of the mass of the people must prevail."
--Alcuin (735-804),in a letter to Charlemagne
--Alcuin (735-804),in a letter to Charlemagne
A hearty "Thank you" to those who voted in the midterm elections. This is what I had posted on November 8, 2004: "Many of us seem to be in denial, offering arguments that Bush does not have a "mandate". Face it. He has, he has. Backed by a Congress with larger majorities in both houses, he will continue to move the nation to the right. His core support groups expect it of him, and he has proven beyond any doubt his tenacity to stick to his positions. Be prepared for social and environmental issues to suffer set backs on the domestic front. On foreign policy matters he might be forced to give some ground in an effort for rapprochement with Europe. "
On that day I certainly did not expect the political landscape to change so drastically within two years. But the Republicans helped; led by a dictatorial president they became power mad and self-destructed. The arrogant president will no longer have a subservient House of Representatives at his beck and call. It is uncertain whether the Republicans would be able to maintain their majority in the Senate, but if they do Vice President Cheney (Dr. Strangelove) might have to emerge from his secret bunker often to be the tiebreaker.
Blue is Beautiful
Applause for South Dakotans who voted against the draconian abortion ban introduced by bigots in their state.
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On that day I certainly did not expect the political landscape to change so drastically within two years. But the Republicans helped; led by a dictatorial president they became power mad and self-destructed. The arrogant president will no longer have a subservient House of Representatives at his beck and call. It is uncertain whether the Republicans would be able to maintain their majority in the Senate, but if they do Vice President Cheney (Dr. Strangelove) might have to emerge from his secret bunker often to be the tiebreaker.
Blue is Beautiful
Not quite a tsunami, but close. What a difference two years make! The fact that the blustering, mean-spirited,hypocritical bullies have been put in their place is cause for rejoicing.
The following deserve special mention.
Applause for 21 Senators, including one Republican (Lincoln Chafee of Rhode Island) and the 133 members of the House (126 Democrats, 6 Republicans, 1 Independent) who had the courage to stand apart and vote "Nay" against the Iraq war in 2002.The following deserve special mention.
- Santorum: Sanctimonious Rick Santorum of Pennsylvania who wrapped himself in Bible and the flag, sank. Pass it on.
- Harris: Katherine Harris -- the champion of theocracy who, as Florida's secretary of state, engineered gross violations of voters' rights in 2000,-- got hammered. Pass it on.
Applause for South Dakotans who voted against the draconian abortion ban introduced by bigots in their state.
The victory feels good.......YES. But I have no illusions about the Democrats. How are they going to handle power ? They will not remain squeaky clean -- our campaign finance system makes that an unattainable goal -- but they can stay above the abysmal level of their predecessors in Congress. An ordinary rank and file Democrat, if I could speak to a member of the Democratic leadership, this is what I would say.
Be humble Remember that results of the 2006 Midterm Elections are more about their loss than your victory. The American people voted against them and you won by default. The president gleefully created a bloody mess in Iraq and some of you helped him to do it. There is no easy way out. But the majority of the Iraqis don't want us there. Look for solutions, avoid platitudes. Don't go to bed with the K-Street gang. Think of what happened to those who did. When you are courted by the lobbyists, remember you don't get something for nothing. Support the proposed H.R. 4682: Honest Leadership and Open Government Act of 2006 Give god a rest. A lot of bad things have been done in his name during the past six years.The separation of church and state, as envisaged by Thomas Jefferson, served the nation well in the past. Your words and actions will be judged just as the members across the aisle were judged. Make sincere efforts to reach bipartisanship. You're there to serve your constituents -- all of them -- not select groups represented by lobbyists. Be humble. |
