It's Hard to be a Democrat

It's hard to be a Democrat, don't you think? There's no alternative, of course, but it's hard. Someone asked me the other day to write something about why I was a Democrat, and I had no trouble making a list of 10 reasons. Of course, five of those reasons were the Supreme Court, and the other five were more or less historical -- reasons like FDR, which is not meant to mean Franklin Delano Roosevelt exactly but some fantasy blob of Democratic values that are a distant racial memory.

But it's hard. It's especially hard to remember that the real enemies are the Republicans, when the Democrats tend to break your heart and the Republicans are just the boys you'd never go out with anyway.

It's hard when you watch a debate and decide that in the end you're probably going to throw your vote away in the primary and vote for someone who doesn't have a chance, like Dennis Kucinich. I mean, look at them, look at the front runners: Hillary Clinton, who can't help being Hillary Clinton; Barack Obama, who was a disappointment from the beginning and whose new-found attack mode is as dispiriting as his low energy level used to be; John Edwards, whom I am afraid I will never be able to think of again (after this week's Peggy Noonan column in the Wall Street Journal) as anything but a desperate furry little woodland animal.

And then there are the Democrats in the Congress. What a bunch of losers, hiding behind the fact that it takes 60 votes to shut down debate and 67 to override a presidential veto. So what? So pass a law and make Bush veto it. Make him veto something every single day. Drive the guy crazy. What have you got to lose? And meanwhile what have you done? You've voted for the surge, you've voted to authorize a war against Iran, and you're about to vote in favor of an attorney general-designate who refuses to call waterboarding torture.

Which brings me, I'm afraid, to Chuck Schumer. I can't honestly say that Chuck Schumer broke my heart last week, because he's never really had my heart. He's Captain Bromide. And I can't even look at him without being reminded of an old radio-and-television show called Quiz Kids, which featured a boy genius named Joel Kupperman who was always waving his hand wildly whenever a question was asked and shouting, "I know! I know!" In addition, and because he happens to be my Senator, I have watched Schumer transform himself: he used to be a schlepper (as they say in Schumer's former congressional district) and now he's groomed to a fare-thee-well. I salute any man who takes charge of a thinning hairline with so much product, but Schumer's makeover always seemed to me a worrisome sign, and not merely a symptom of my own shallowness: it seemed to me to show that he had left Brooklyn and New York, in some fundamental way, for the Beltway -- which is not meant to mean the Beltway exactly but instead a nonstop series of cable and network television appearances that add up to very little in the way of action and a great deal in the way of bluster.

Nonetheless, when I read on Friday that Schumer had decided to support Michael Mukasey for attorney general, thus making Mukasey's confirmation by the Senate inevitable, my heart sank. I read his justification of his vote. He said that Mukasey was the best we could hope for from this administration. He said the Justice Department needed to be rebuilt. He said that no nominee for attorney general was ever going to come out against waterboarding, and that Mukasey at least promised to follow the law if (somehow) the Senate passed an anti-waterboarding law (that survived a Bush veto). It's probably unfair to blame Schumer entirely for this; after all, Dianne Feinstein made the same decision. And more than half the Democrats in the Senate are apparently prepared to vote for Mukasey.

But here's what they should do instead:

Reject Mukasey.
Make Bush send up another nominee.
Reject that nominee if he won't take a position on waterboarding.
And just keep on doing it.

Because it's the right thing to do. Because waterboarding is torture. Because we are torturing people and it has to stop, and it will never stop unless the Democrats make it stop.

And forget about the Justice Department. No one will fix the Justice Department until there's a new president.

And he or she has got to be a Democrat.

That goes without saying.

Because after all, there's the Supreme Court.

Comments

[justjohn]

Note to Nora Ephron: Remember how last year when you posted a Thanksgiving recipe either on Thanksgiving Day or the day before, a lot of us got on your case for posting it too late?

RIGHT NOW would be the perfect time (in my opinionated opinion) to post any Thanksgiving recipes you feel like posting this year.

(And, of course, continue with your politics posts whenever you wish. I'm only mentioning the recipe thing now because I was one who complained last year.)

[provgrays]

The overarching theme that no one has mentioned out loud is that the Constitution doesn't matter. It's a faded piece of paper in the National Archives.

We are a nation of corporations, not laws. You need only reference the last seven years of the Bush cabal to reach that conclusion.

[BushSunkOurShip]

Has anyone research the qualification of our democrats running in the primary field to make sure we do not keep repeating ourselves voting in the worst democrat running.
We need pick a candidate that we all think would be the best, so our votes in the primary are not divided where the worst of the group gets elected because of splitting our votes amoung candidates that might have simular qualities.
We can bitch about our choices for president, but you have better bet your sweet A.. we don't want any of the republicans running for to get the office in 2008.
Our party has to be rebuilt and it can only be done one step at a time, so we can not afford for republicans to continue to Bs us as Rove has in the past. You have better believe that Rove in still in the front seat running the propaganda wheels for the republicans party. They have found another way to defeat democrats and that is by running a third party to draw democrats vote so the republicans will have a better chance of receiving the office..
Just because it is might not be our pick to win the primary, we have better vote democrat in the general election so we do not get another BUSH & CHENEY in office for 4 more years.
Republicans are posting on our boards trying to get democrats not to vote in the primary or general election, and all of the news media is attacking the democrats in the appearences on the talk shows, while they let the republican candidates talk about what they wish to do.
NO matter how bad our democratic candidate might seem, we certainly have to get a repubican out of the office for the next 4 years.
Our country if it last through the next 14 months, we certainly will not if a republicans get in for 4

[Semper]

Its easy to be a Democrat, the problem is that we are not listening. We are hoping. Anyone can see the truth about the Party. There are many Democrats who have different agendas, which is easy to see. The Democratic party is about a free America, it is not Mexico, or Israel, Africa,Phillipines or Cuba. This country is pretty diverse. The problem is we have no national pride. And too many immigrants forgot what America represents. They want to bring their cultures with them. Well, sorry folks but if you can't except America first, then you should be brave enough to leave. And incidentally you left your respective cultures because they did not work in harmony with the majority of the country from which you came from. In America we try to set examples for other nations to follow. And their is no chosen culture here. Its America for Americans by Americans. We have the best Democracy in the world bar none.

[Stevelagain]

Nora, the Enlightened, Liberal, Progressive approach should be that Republicans are your fellow citizens, those whom you live and work with and want to stand with when facing the world and building a better America.

The Republicans aren't your "real enemies" and I'm sorry you feel that way. But I suppose it's good to that you published it because now we can discuss that. Why your "real enemies" are your fellow citizens who happen to disagree with you over some political issues.

Your real enemies are those who want to get into a plane and blow you up when you are visiting some high rise building or at work. Your real enemies are those who see you as an infidel and decree that some day you must bow down to them and pay blackmail to them or be killed. Your real enemies are even friendly nations who are economic enemies who want to see you so burden this nation with high taxes, socialism, and environmental regulation that you destroy your own economy and see your jobs flee to them in Europe or the pacific rim.

I don't see you as my enemy, I'm sorry you see me as yours. Does that mean you are declaring you ARE my enemy? Should I fight you? Resist you? Do anything to beat you? Do you believe that? I hope not.

[BushSunkOurShip]

Do democrats read what they post, or do they post and don't read?
How can anyone possibly vote for a republican or not vote at all instead of voting for Hillary?
Has Rove got the democrats where he wishes them again.
A no vote or a vote for a republicans is saying you like things just the way Bush, Cheney and the republicans have screwed you....

[[e-mail]]

Thank you. I'm also a New Yorker and I was heartbroken to hear about Schumer's decision to support Mukasey. He's lost my respect (and my vote) for good.

My Christmas wish this year is for Democrats to grow some balls. They sorely need them.

[LDJeff]

I do think I'll change my party affiliation from the Democratic non-party to Independent next week.

Democrats say it "Takes 60 votes to do anything in the Senate!" Huh! How come Mukasey confirmed with 53? Guess the 60 vote excuse WAS just an excuse!

[mgsorens]

It is hard. After being angry for seven years you can finally see light at the end of the tunnel. The Bush Presidency will end after one more year. It's not just him personally but it's the issues.

The Iraq War seems to be winding down. AQ Kahn is out of business. Libya and North Korea are ending their nuclear weapons programs. Iran is facing a resolute world with regard to their nuclear weapons ambitions. France and Germany got rid of their anti-American leaders.

The economy is booming. Inflation, unemployment, and interest rates are down. The stock markets are up. Years and years without another terrorist attack. The CIA and U.S. military are not allowed to use waterboarding, or any form of torture including touching a Koran.

It looks like we are about to elect Hillary as our first woman president. She is a Democrat, but... Well isn't she just a little bit too sane?

Sucks to be a Democrat.

[SteKos]

Wake up, Nora. The Republicans are not the enemey, the WHOLE corporate owned government is. All the "Dem vs. Rep" junk does, is take away from the real argument. Us vs. Them.

Vote them ALL out. Start over.

[jneil]

Ms. Ephron,

Allow me to start by saying that I'm a long-time fan of your work as a writer/dir­ector/prod­ucer/autho­r -- and that's coming from another writer/dir­ector/prod­ucer/autho­r.

I'm also going to suggest that what you're looking for in this presidential primary season is not to be found on the Democratic side of the aisle but, counterintuitively enough for you, on the Republican side. I'm talking about the only presidential candidate out there who has a Congressional voting record that consistently reflects his principles, who always speaks truth to power, who has consistently voted against the War in Iraq and the Patriot Act, who has called for an immediate withdrawal of American troops from Iraq, whose voting record shows he is serious about supporting the Constitution and the Bill of Rights -- ALL of them), and who wants to return power to the people as much as possible.

That's Ron Paul. You might think he doesn't stand a chance, but on November 5th his campaign raised $4.3 million in 24 hours from 35,000 individual donors.

Does the (R) after a candidate's name mean he isn't even to be considered?

J. Neil Schulman

[marysandra]

I'm a lapsed Catholic,D­emocrat,ma­rried to a lapsed Jewish Republican,and you think your life is tough! Although even my mate voted for Kerry, so he's lapsed in two ways. The Republican roster would be laughable,if it weren't for all that money. My problem with Hillary is the same as with Obama, experience. Granted Hillary has lots of experience in some things, just not enough in bringing people together and new, workable ideas to the table. I feel she checks the polls to see what her opinions should be each day. I think that's why she didn't do her homework on the vote to invade Iraq. The disappointing thing about this is, she way smart enough to follow her own best conclusions, she just needs to do the work to figure out what they are..But what with campaigning for three years, raising money, and shopping for unflattering pantsuits, who has the time? I am supporting Kucinich,suspect my husband is too, but in our household we are polite about discussing religion and politics, just like our grandmothers taught us, and for good reason. How else could we be married for 26 years?

[homovivens]

FRANK RICH's NYT Op-Ed comparing the coups of Musharraf and team Bush -- their respective trouncing of constitutional rights -- and the feckless opposition of our effete Democratically led Congress, especially the offensive and blatant capitulation of Feinstein and Schumer on torture, is MUST READ.

Can we please find and support leaders who will not wimply "suffer the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune" -- the menace of Bush/Cheney Republicanism and complicitous Democrats -- but, "by opposing -- OBAMA-like -- end them."

It's time for the old dogs, Feinstein and Schumer, to go. What good are they who refuse to fight for their constituents? Congress and Bush share the bottom-feed of the poles. We, the people, must show our enfranchised resolve to rid ourselves of this menace and vote the bastards out.

[rixhex56]

It seems as though "do the right thing" has become a non-sequitur. Disregard the Constitution, the Bill of Rights, the rule of law, the principles upon which this nation was founded, and just go along to get along. Forget about "do the right thing" – it has no meaning.

Is it more important to pass bad legislation, or to resist passing it? Is it better to instill unqualified Attorneys General than to leave the position vacant? Is it better to instill people in positions of power who will continue to pervert the system, and perpetuate that perverted system, or to look for people who will help correct that broken system?

We are definitely "through the looking glass" here.

[Manx]

On the same subject, be sure to read the lead editorial in today's New York Times about Democrats: "Abdicate and Capitulate."