The Democrats Could Learn A Lot From Larry Craig's Balls
As we all know, Senator Larry Craig is an anti-gay, right-wing zealot and fantastically gifted hypocrite who was arrested while allegedly attempting to solicit gay sex in an airport men's room; he was booked on charges and nationally disgraced.
Despite all of that, Senator Craig has brazenly defied his party and has returned to the senate to help filibuster and obstruct every important piece of legislation the Democrats introduce.
Meanwhile, the Democrats, who we specifically elected to end the occupation of Iraq and, to a lesser extent, check the power of the president, allowed the Republicans to filibuster, 1) an amendment that would've restored habeas corpus, one of our most cherished constitutional rights; and 2) an amendment that would've supported the troops by giving them more family time between tours.
Prior to this embarrassing week of events on the Hill, the Democratic majority has acquiesced on war funding and have fallen over themselves backpedaling as fast as their trembling legs could carry them in the face of everything President Loser and the Republicans have farted in their general direction.
It's clear that the Democrats could learn a lot from Senator Craig's comparatively mighty balls.
(And I hasten to note that there is a dozen or so senate Democrats -- Senators Webb, Dodd, Leahy, Feingold, etc... -- who are most definitely not indicative of their party's recent castrata status.)
Unlike the era prior to the 2006 midterms, suddenly 51 votes -- or 56 votes -- aren't good enough. Somehow, the Democrats have allowed the White House and GOP to obstruct so vigorously that attaining 60 senate votes is the only way to bring a piece of legislation to a vote in the first place. 60 votes, plus or minus a Lieberman. But other than in the blogosphere, we're not hearing protests of obstructionism. We're not hearing vocal demands all across the media spectrum for an up-or-down-vote. Instead we get the idling hum of Senator Reid's voice and a distraction from MoveOn, bless them.
And the president, in his special needs press conference* this week, continued to bully the Democrats as if he's still performing his Vincent Chase from Entourage strut in that flight suit (one of the early indications of the president's move towards, as Keith Olbermann called it Thursday night, a military junta) waving his giant stuffed cod piece with more vigor than Britney's saddlebags at the VMAs.
There is no reason whatsoever why the Democrats need to even acknowledge the existence of the president and his childish disciples in Congress. "Who's that talking? Cornyn? 'The hell's a Cornyn?" After all, the American people want everything the Democrats say they stand for: a rapid end to the war, a restoration of the Constitution, universal health care, clean energy, less outsourcing, and all the rest.
So why, given the choice, do the Democrats, at the expense of their voters, continue to flinch when confronted by the unpopular and widely disgraced Republican Party?
It's because they're locked into bad habits established prior to the invasion and occupation of Iraq. I call it the Dreaded Lieberman-Gephardt-Stockholm Syndrome.
They somehow continue to believe that if they fall too far to the left -- if they take too bold of a fuck you posture -- Karl Rove and Roger Ailes will cold cock them with a rubber bullet -- a massive legal (and illegal) propaganda campaign labeling them as "with the terrorists" or "too French" or whatever lowest common denominator bullshit they yank from their white asses in order to jazz up their ignoramus base.
Restore habeas rights? With the terrorists! Give the troops more time off? The Democrats hate the troops!
This week, for instance, the Democrats should've carpet bombed the media with quotes including the phrase "obstructionist Republicans". The big ticket amendments this week should've been unofficially nicknamed "The Military Families Amendment" or the "Save The Constitution Amendment".
This way, they could saturate the media with quotes like, "Why is Senator McCain against saving the Constitution?" or, "Why is Republican Senator Lieberman against military families?" For fuck's sake, I at least hope the DNC is saving some of the floor debate video for next year. An entire campaign's worth of TV buys could be produced from yesterday's White House and senate floor performances.
But instead of a bold and aggressive Democratic Party empowered by the support of legions of Americans as well as a disgraced and unpopular GOP, we get this bungled and botched week of wet-bread politics. I know we're not supposed to eat our own, but screw that. The Democrats embarrassed, disappointed and pissed me off this week. Have I made myself clear on that yet?
And if that wasn't bad enough, on the campaign front, we have a Democratic presidential frontrunner who released a health care plan this week that's nothing more than a veiled GOP health care plan -- with an extra step or two between your tax dollars and gigantically profitable insurance companies. I'm sure if you asked a policy staffer (in private) why the plan is so fucking awful, they might admit to something like, This is a plan that will actually pass (because of lobbyist support and more bipartisan votes).
It's a plan that smacks of lobbyists and preemptively bipartisan cooperation, when, in fact, Americans are starved for something a thousand times more courageous.
Bill Maher told Wolf Blitzer this week that Senator Craig might bring the whole party down with him. I wish that were true. The truth is that Senator Craig only reinforces the reasons why the Republicans won the week and why the Democrats and, in turn, the American people lost.
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* President Bush in Thursday's press conference: "I heard somebody say, 'Where's Mandela?' Well, Mandela's dead because Saddam Hussein killed all the Mandelas." First, huh what? Second, Mandela is still alive.
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Help save John From Cincinnati here. Bill Jacks would do the same for you, ya' mope.
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I got a letter from the DNC this week, asking for a financial contribution. Here's how I responded:
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I'm sorry to say that the democratic party has let me down this week, and any money that I do decide to send to political organizations will be going to outfits like MoveOn.org and TrueMajority. While both of these organizations are more to the left than I personally am, they at least say what they mean and stick to their convictions, and are not alllowing themselves to be intimidated by the GOP apologists.
When the democratic party actually grows some cojones and stands up to the blatant repression of First Ammendment expression, such as that displayed in the "Betray Us?" ad, then maybe I'll support the national Democratic party.
The Democrats have blown their chance to expose the Republicans for the lying liars that many of them are, and have also caved in by letting the Right Wing media, such as Fox News, Rush Limbaugh, and a handful of other neocons control the debate.
Let me know when the Democrats have a plan to ACTUALLY stand up to the Bush administration, the MINORITY republicans in the legislative branch, and the GOP shills on talk radio, and maybe I'll think about supporting the party.
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I'll support the dems when they actually do what they say they were going to do!
ok I'm going to leave before I say the wrong thing. I would hate to cause a problem because I don't care for many people who haven't given HOWARD DEAN the respect he has earned. bye!
we just watched WE ARE MARSHALL
it was cool.
it's hard to play nice in theis climate.
How sad is this? According to the latest Gallup poll, the Congressional Republicans beat their Democratic colleagues by 14 percentage points (37% to 23%). I CANNOT understand what the Democrats think they're accomplishing by rolling over and playing dead. The next time the Republicans threaten to filibuster, LET THEM!!!! How much clearer can it be? Make it apparent to America who stands for what. As it now, the Democrats don't seem to be standing for anything.
yes, I keep hoping the Dems will find thier balls too.
Bob,
Another good post.
The bill should have been called "Restore Human Rights" that what the writ of Habeas Corpus should be, not just a constitutional right. The Repugs argue that the "suspected terrorists" shouldn't have the same rights as Americans under the constitution. The Dems should argue and win that the "writ" protects all humans' right to contest indifinite detention without charges being filed in some court of law.
The Dems have to start using better tactics and fight for the rule of law or forget the America we grew up in, it will be gone.
I am seriously considering moving to Canada.
This bullshit is pathetic.I am almost to my limit.
Bob, like most of the other blogers, I share your frustration & disgust over the Dems pathetically feeble response to the Repubs. A few years back, after being a Democrat for 25 years, I finally called it quits & became an Independent because I just couldn't see the point in belonging to a political party that didn't stand for anything.
I recall an episode of "The Simpsons" from their early days that involved a chase scene running through both the Repubs' & the Dems' political conventions. In the Repubs', people were waving signs that said "WE'RE PURE EVIL!" & "WE WANT THE WORST FOR EVERYONE!" and in the Dems', people were waving signs that said "WE HATE OURSELVES!" & "WE JUST CAN'T GOVERN!"
Same as it ever was. The Dems are right about most things, but they present their case like high school guidance counsellors while the Repubs come across as bar room brawlers. Most of the American electorate prefers toughness to rational thought.
Bob, your problem is that you are a true believer who is apparently just now figuring out that your political leaders are just politicians.
One thing you have not figured out yet is that many Republican true believers have already faced the reality that their political leaders do not represent them. Another thing you have not figured out yet is that the average person does not believe what you think they believe.
For these two reasons, if you persist in thinking for yourself, you will have a very long and frustrating path ahead of you before you come out the other side - as a libertarian.
Bob, you will be happier if you just stop thinking and plug yourself back into the mainstream media - kinda like plugging yourself back into the Matrix.
You can find more at http://www
Bob, I love the way you...writ
And Craig DOES have a mighty set of balls.
He showed them to me under the stall wall at the DFW airport mensroom. He said it was on account of his "wide stance".
heh...
By-the-by, those rollover bitches on the left side of the aisle really COULD use a testosterone infusion. NOW!!!
have a nice "I am not gay" day :D xxoo SI
Bob, you’ve missed the mark. Your focus on the right blinds the real truth of our elected officials in Washington, on both sides of the aisle. Your disgust with the Democrats and their (take your pick) failure, reluctance, or fear of doing what you neo-Marxists elect them to do every other year is understandable. We neo-cons were very disappointed with the effectiveness (or lack) of the House and Senate prior to the 2006 mid-terms.
We can relate to your frustration because the Republican controlled congress back then did some very un-Republican things. Ms. H’s word limit prevents me from listing them all.
The point is most of our elected officials (left and right) are making a career in Washington and are afraid to stand-up for what they really believe. The fear of losing support in their district or state influences their thinking, and voting! You have to admit, the corruption is rampant in both parties.
What we Americans need – all of us - are representatives on a time limit that will actually represent us. Term limits are the only answer. Citizen politicians with no career motivation but a real interest in making a difference and representing their constituents would be effective, honest and believable.
If you’ll note, those politicians (on both sides) involved in all the recent corruption, scandals and questionable activities, always seem to be senior members that have been re-elected over and over and over. These guys and gals currently in office will never vote to end their careers. Just like they will never vote themselves a pay-cut.
Yes, you and I have completely opposite views, but I think we can agree our representatives are more concerned with their congressional pensions, political kick-backs and re-election fundraising than what you and I need or want. Meanwhile our frustration grows and they dig themselves in ever deeper.
Your post should be shouted from the roof tops. It was like music to my ears. Plain old truths told well.
If the dems can add amnesty for illegal immigrants to other bills (the dream act) why in the world can't they start doing that with things pertaining to the war and the soldiers?
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