Charles Hunt, writing in the Moonie Times, correctly calls the Warner-Levin non-binding resolution the ‘stay-the-course’ resolution. However, it has successfully derailed any attempt to pass a strong message opposing the war and the escalation of the war.
Senators Dodd and Feingold are howling like stuck pigs, and so should we all be howling. Dodd and Feingold are the people actually representing the people of the United States. Everyone else seems to be running for cover.
Chris Dodd might seem an unlikely source to become the darling of the blogosphere, but if he keeps this up he may find that he has replaced Feingold in that role. And he’s going to need the netroots if he has any chance of winning the nomination or raising enough money to get his message out.
I like Dodd because he is a solid liberal in a town full of Clinton Democrats. I’d like to see his campaign get some momentum. And I’m glad to see him representing us and representing all the people that voted to send a message on the war in November. Good for him. I hope he creates a user account here and posts a diary.
I mean, where is the leadership from other candidates for the nomination? I am not seeing it. The Senate is blowing us off. They are flat out blowing us off. They are going to stay the course and they might even sit back and let the President widen the war into Iran and/or Syria. I want to support someone who knows what is right and is doing something to make things right.
While they dither in Senate and hide in their cloakrooms, I wonder if the Dems realize that their cowardice has the real potential to rip the party apart? Without some kind of strong position on the Middle East to run on there are only two things holding the party together: (1) Fear of the neo-cons; and (2) lack of a viable alternative. If, by some bizarre twist of fate, Giuliani were to be nominated by the GOP(or even try the 3rd party route) I’m not sure there’s a democrat who would be able to stand up to him because they are presently standing for nothing. He already appears to be somewhat to the left of Clinton on social issues and I doubt he could out-pander any of the Dems with regard to Israel/Iran, etc. Without George Bush to run against this time and with some serious splits within both parties, by the time November ’08 rolls around everything may be up for grabs.
But, there’s no guarantee that the fundies would vote for Giuliani, who for my money seems little different than DiFi for the Dems, except for the combover, of course. McCain, despite his pandering to the neanderthal/theocrat base, is still a mixed bag. The GOP appears equally ripe for a split.
However, I do agree that the Senate Dems lack of backbone on Iraq in particular has the appearance of cravenness.
I’m sure the fundies wouldn’t vote for Giuliani. I’m also not sure how many social progressives would vote for Clinton over Giuliani when she’s selling them out on the war. Giuliani has some actual credibility on a number of social issues that are near and dear to the hearts of social progressives. That’s what I mean by “everything’s up for grabs.”
What are the idiots afraid of? MoveOn’s virtual march yesterday yielded more than a million phone calls to senators to stop the escalation.
When was the last time the Senate received a million calls in one day about a specific issue? Oh yeah, it was probably following the great Super Bowl boob caper.
My impression is that he is also very exceptionally smart and well-spoken, worth at least three Bidens.
Clinton and Edwards were very strongly on opposite sides of the fence on this issue at the DNC meeting today. Edwards called for Congress to use its power, and denigrated a non-binding resolution “that this President will just ignore”, while Hillary called a non-binding resolution the “first time that the Congress says no” and the start of reversing the policy in Iraq.
So Edwards was on the outside calling for the whole Congress to use its power to do what the American people want, while Clinton was on the inside defending a meaningless resolution as the incremental first step toward maybe getting something more meaningful down the track … and oh, by the way, if she is elected President and the Iraq war is still going on, she will start stopping it then.
Hilary is worse than useless. She might as well be getting a paycheck from Bush.
You may depend on Hillary NOT to take any positions which might impair her power to act as she sees fit if she becomes President. Thus–“It’s the President’s responsibility to make these determinations. All I can do as mere Senator is to express my disapproval. Senators have no power to alter the course of events.”[sarc] (not an exact quote, of course)
I’m glad to see that at least two know what they are there for, but disturbed to see so many that don’t. And this was the very issue that brought so many new faces to DC. How soon they forget.
Triangulation?
Just something I’ve been thinking about but haven’t really been able to put into any coherent order, but it seems to me that “triangulation” is nothing but “mugging for the camera.” Rather than taking charge and aiming the media lens at real problems or using their position to force the focus on something other than the orthodox “mainstream” pseudo-debate, our politicians rush to find out where the lens is pointed and then start trying to elbow each other out of the way so they can bask in the spotlight. In the meantime, people like Feingold, who really are representing the mainstream view on Iraq, aren’t much more than background noise.
Triangulation=’s ‘mugging for the camera’…signifying nothing but a soundbite for the media to glom onto and make them think they are reporters…how bout you quit mugging for the camera and actually do something constructive.
I think the real problem Progressives face is how to influence where the camera is pointed. If your only purpose is to get in front of it, then you’ll never move it.
It was certainly a different era, but I can recall Bobby Kennedy going into the ghettoes and Appalachia to focus the media lens on poverty. Edwards seems to be trying to use that model but he doesn’t start with that kind of star power.
Hillary could do it. She’s got the star power and the podium but she’s too busy “mugging for the camera.” Rahm may be right that you’ve got to get elected first, but if you’re elected on nothing more substantial than a vague promise of a possible “measured and responsible” policy of moderation, you’ll never be able to effect any change.
I have never trusted Dodd, for a couple of reasons.
His father, Thomas Dodd, came back from his prosecutorial role at Nuremburg a changed man. He had gone off a liberal, and came back a neo-nazi himself. He was one of the worst Dems ever to sit on the hill, and was ultimately censured by his colleagues for using campaign funds for egregious personal expenses. His own staff worked with the media to oust him because of Dodd’s literally dancing for joy the day Kennedy was assassinated. Dodd hated Kennedy.
The son was not much better on the matter of Kennedy. When the House Select Committee on Assassinations was closing fast on the CIA’s role in the assassination of President Kennedy, the CIA assets in the media went after the two leaders of the committee – Richard Sprague and Rep. Henry Gonzales and got both removed. Chris Dodd then brought in the cover-up man: G. Robert Blakey. Dutifully, Blakey quietly and efficiently pulled people off the productive CIA leads and pointed them in other directions. Blakey wrote that after his years with the CIA, he was certain they wouldn’t lie to him. When in 2005 it became clear the CIA had lied to him (the guy overseeing their requests for CIA records may himself have been involved, peripherally, in the assassination story) Blakey still couldn’t bring himself to imagine the CIA’s role there. Blakey tried to get a report confirming the results of the Warren Commission, but at the last minute, acoustical evidence surfaced, tested in separate trials by two different firms, which proved that at least four shots had been fired, requiring at least two shooters and hence a conspiracy, and that one of the shots very likely came from the Grassy Knoll. So Blakey conceded a “probable” conspiracy and then wrote a mob-did-it book. Chris Dodd’s pick. Doesn’t say much for Dodd’s judgment.
I also have a vague memory of Dodd’s involvement, behind the scenes, in subtly sabotaging the Iran-Contra investigation. I’ll have to go in search of that if he becomes a serious candidate.
Nope. He’ll never get my vote.
Well, I think his best friend in the Senate is Teddy, so he must not feel the same way about Dodd’s role in the investigation.
I think that would have nothing to do with their friendship. And a friend of the Kennedy’s called a friend one day and said it was Kennedy who didn’t want anyone in the family looking into the Kennedy assassination. Bobby was looking into it, and look what happened to him.
Meaning, Ted Kennedy shied the family away from any investigation. Maybe that’s why he liked Blakey after all. Bad job well done.
I’m sorry Boo, but why are you even surprised? Except for a few lone voices in the House and the Senate we the people have dun been sold out long ago. On this issue of war and Iran it is going to be business as usual by Congress…oh they will have a few nay saying voices to make it ‘look’ like there was some debate but as far as doing anything..forget it. And certainly why I think we need a honest to god revolution in this country to sweep out everyone in Congress(and the media) and start over.
Agreed. A revolution is necessary. At the very least, a revolution of awareness, concern, consciousness. But probably more is required.
There’s a great story over at Progressive Historians of how a 16-year-old black girl from the South brought about Brown v. Board of Education.
Anyone can change the world, if they really commit to it. Anyone.
….and what should we have suspected? Did anyone seriously think that we would get anything other than what we are getting. Levin simply has no balls. Warner is just full of shit. And that stalwart from Pa is probably such a piece of shit that I won’t ever mention his name ever again.Lets see how long this is going to be tolerated. As I am writing this the tube is showing PBS brooks and Shielkds- what a effing joke. The only chance at this point lies in the house. Lets see what that is all about. All I know is that pelosis’ 5 day work wek hasn’t happened yet!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!