In 2006, I recommended an across the board vote for Democrats. I did so in the sincere belief that the Democrats would be elected based on growing domestic opposition to the criminal military occupation of Iraq, and that those same Democrats would then disappoint all who voted on the issue of the war by backtracking, dissembling, and eventually endorsing this purely imperial adventure.
The idea was to expose the Democrats who were talking left and acting right, as usual, and hiding behind minority status as an excuse to do NOTHING to stop the slaughter in Iraq.
The Democratic Party, led by Big Ag, Big Pharma, Big Weapons, Big Insurance, and Wall Street (consolidated in the Democratic Leadership Council), did not disappoint my prognostications, and they did disappoint the voters who invested anti-imperial aspirations in the DP.
Now the Big Lie of the Democrats is the absence of the "veto-proof majority," a new low in the rationalization of both cowardice and opportunism. Since he said it so directly and clearly, I will quote Med School Professor Dr. John Walsh in his letter to the times... (kudos to Counterpunch for posting this letter):
From: John Walsh
Date: September 16, 2007 9:49:05 AM EDT
To: letters@nytimes.com
Subject: Frank Rich's columnTo the editor:
In an otherwise excellent column today (9/16/2007) Frank Rich perpetuates the myth that the Democrats do not have the power to end the war because of an inevitable veto from Bush.
Nothing could be farther from the truth. The war demands funding, and a new supplemental funding will soon appear before Congress. That can be filibustered in the Senate, with only the 41 votes or abstentions required to sustain a filibuster. At that moment the legislation is dead. There is nothing to veto so Bush must come back with an acceptable bill. At the same time the Democrats could submit legislation to bring the occupying troops home quickly and safely. Let Bush veto that if he dares. There is already a national petition drive for this at FilibusterForPeace.org and every Senator has received a copy of it.
In the House one person Nancy Pelosi can accomplish the same thing. She can simply refuse to bring Bush's supplemental requests to the floor. In this she has veto power as surely as the president does.
So let us not hear from the Democrats that they do not have the power to end the war. Clearly they do. One must conclude that the Democrats support it. They pay for it and so they own it.
Sincerely,
John V. Walsh, MD
Professor of Physiology
University of Massachusetts Medical School
john.walsh@umassmed.edu
And for those who missed it, here is the 3 1/2 minute AV on the conquest of Iraq... and others.