New York Times, today's top story
Democrats Seem Ready To Extend Wiretap Powers
..Fears of Appearing Soft on Terror
Two months after insisting that they would roll back broad eavesdropping powers won by the Bush administration, Democrats in Congress appear ready to make concessions that could extend some crucial powers given to the National Security Agency.
Washington Post, today's top story
Buyout Firms to Avoid a Tax Hike
Reid Passes Word Senate Won't Act
Senate Majority Leader Harry M. Reid (D-Nev.) has told private-equity firms in recent weeks that a tax-hike proposal they have spent millions of dollars to defeat will not get through the Senate this year, according to executives and lobbyists.
Analysis
Is this a sneak preview of the Clinton II era?
Tired of accusations from the party base of timid backpedaling on Iraq and Iran, top Democrats are boldly seeking to deflect attention to a wide range of other issues on which they are ready to sell out.
But the needed watering of our soil has been missed for all too long.
If either party offers hope, I do not see it. And we are too sheeplike to take old TJ's advice.
It's time for the Democrats to understand that the people are fed up.
If they want to take impeachment off the table, make them pay and pay and pay. No more free rides. Party loyalty does not trump loyalty to the nation and the Constitution.
No LONGER any semblance of
FISCAL RESPONSIBILITY!
No longer any appearance of
NATIONAL SECURITY!
No longer any rhetoric about
SMALLER GOVERNMENT!
No longer any interest in
AMERICA'S CONSTITUTION!
No longer any representation of
ETHNIC MINORITIES!
No longer any claim to
FAMILY VALUES!
No longer any care about
SMALL BUSINESS AMERICANS!
No longer any shame in
LYING TO THE AMERICAN PEOPLE!
The GOP has new acronymns:
Gutless Obsessed Recalcitrants
GREEDY OLE REPROBATES
Greedy Orifice Reprobates
Garish Orwelian Replicants
Greedy Ole Rejects
GAWD OWFUL REPUGNANTS
Minnesota's independent Governor from 1999 to 2003, Jesse Ventura, would be a great choice. He might be willing to run---and by next spring, the voters will be so sick of all the chicken***t Dems and chickenhawk Thugs that an independent would have tremendous appeal.
It may be that NYC Mayor Bloomberg is thinking along the same lines. I think Gov. Ventura would have more actual support from ordinary people, though.
Here's a thought, get all lobbying dollars out of Washington. U.S. politics is too much about fat cats feigning concern for the country while raking in the green under the table.
If the rank and file base of the Republican Party were to review the benefits of their party being in power the last decade or so, could they honestly say their lives have improved? Did the social agenda they signed on for come to pass? The Democrats didn't have the ability to influence anything in Washington for at least 4 election cycles, so did the virtues the Republicans base held dear as the foundation of their Party win out?
No ...
But why? ... Because it wasn't a Republican Social Ideology that reigned in Washington. It was a Corporate Ideology. Simply put, the Republican foot soldiers were betrayed.
The desires of the rank and file Republicans were chucked in the dust bin shortly after each election (not to say that displeases me). What replaced their social agenda? No holds barred Corporatism that harmed most of the rank and file Republicans way of life, by eliminating their jobs, and crushing their economic dreams ... while making a small sliver of Americans (Republican, Democrat, or Non Partisian) and Corporations filthy rich at their expense.
This Republican base was deceived by a Corporate Ideology that had no intention of meeting any of their goals ... In short, this Republican base was USED.
Now since this same Corporate Ideology exists in the Democratic Party in the DLC wing, we should anticipate the same treatment on the left as the Republicans on the right received. We will hear all the right things, the candidates will kiss our bottoms until they shine like a bright red apple ...
... but once these Corporate Dems get in office, we loyal supporters will become little more than chum for the sharks.
So, voters of both parties have to get beyond this Democrat/Republican parlor game and see the Ideology behind the bunting ...
The Ideology is what we are truly voting for.
If you believe they aren't, then it's time to remove that burden from them. Put major issues of national concern on the ballot and let the people decide; reduce politicians power to effectively carrying out the binding decisions of voters.
Face it. For a major corporation or special interest group, it's trivial to bribe a working majority out of our 545 Congress critters. If the people are in the driver's seat, bribing 200 million of us just won't work.
But you can STILL be suprized when a few Democrats, turn out better than you imagine.
Look at the actual voting records of these men and women, sometimes votes cast in the dead of night.
The truth of it will chill your bones.
The true enemy that faces our country today is WITHIN the gates; indeed, it has saturated all three branches of our Government simultaneously, and has muzzled the Press. The criminals are cross-ruffing the game, playing one branch against the other to perpetuate a rapidly growing cancer.
So... how do you conceal a "high crime?" By making it so stupendously big, so unbelievably arrogant, so ruthless in its insistent execution, that the citizens remain frozen like deer in the headlights before they are cut down.
One light burns in the tower tonight: One If By Land.
TO THE DEMS
I have been meaning to write something like this for awhile because of your feckless responses and kowtowing to a president who is out to destroy this country. Why? Because you are cynical and political to an extreme. It is either that or you want to have all the stuff that is on the books now plus a war that you think will help you and without the blame. This is neither humanistic or morally defendable. Petraeus got what he deserves and cutting off funds for this war is the way to go because when it comes to priorities for this occupation it is contractors first and troops last. You can see this from any facts that you look at. So who cares for the troops? Some of you have been doing a lot of talking but nobody has thrown a rock at this glass house of an administration. Leave it to the people thru MoveOn.Org to do the heavy lifting for what you are supposed to be doing. You will not get my vote because you are no better than the repubs. Is there any difference in dictators, if one is a dem. or a repub? The way that you are acting you just want the whole pie for yourselves and forget the people again. I’m 71 and cant help but wonder what of the younger people? Because of your feckless nature it is a bleak future for them. Tony 10/9/07
President Truman was the last President to really hold the war-mongers to account in military spending. Eisenhower tried to warn us.
So long as we have corporate funding of elections, you will continue to see the rights of the People violated and the multinational corporations taking over the planet.
I share your disappointment with the seeming inability of the Democrats to get us out of this war. I felt that way about Truman, JFK, LBJ, and Clinton. When Democrats become the party of peace, they will get my vote. Not a moment sooner.
We need publicly financed elections and laws about the peripheral groups like swiftboaters and MoveOn. Period.
Until that happens, we will continue with the washington party, to our demise.
Who needs Republicans when we can get the Democrats to do their bidding for them? The $$$
Ka-Ching party has never been more transparent.