If Democrats in Washington haven’t got enough sense to own the issue of political reform, I give up on them entirely.
Too many column inches have been wasted on a potential Hillary Clinton run for the White House. At various times, I’ve even bought into the feeding frenzy, and while I haven’t completely given up on Sen. Clinton, I am beginning to realize something about her. Clinton is so busy trying to be all thing to all people that it appears she will in the end be nothing to anyone. It’s sad, but it’s true. Sen. Clinton, who could have taken the Left by the short hairs and galvanized it into a powerful voice on reform and the war on Iraq.
I’m not certain what it is about Democrats these days, but as a party they seem to be afraid and devoid of anything resembling the courage of their convictions. Afraiid of what?, you might ask. Well, Democrats, in addition to being afraid of our of their shadow, seem to be harboring a fear of being accused of latent anti-Americanism. The Democratic Party and it’s leaders have allowed Republicans to frame the debate to their decided advantage. Democrats have for some reason allowed Republicans to wrap themselves in flag and faith, and to paint themselves as the brave defenders of Our Way of Life.
Molly Ivins makes a convincing argument for why she is sick of Washington Democrats…and frankly, I can’t blame her. Faced with a golden opportunity to step to the fore and assume moral leadership of the legislative process, Democrats are prattering on about the need to win elections. Read the polls, DUMB@$$E$…
The recent death of Gene McCarthy reminded me of a lesson I spent a long, long time unlearning, so now I have to relearn it. It’s about political courage and heroes, and when a country is desperate for leadership. There are times when regular politics will not do, and this is one of those times. There are times a country is so tired of bull that only the truth can provide relief.
If no one in conventional-wisdom politics has the courage to speak up and say what needs to be said, then you go out and find some obscure junior senator from Minnesota with the guts to do it. In 1968, Gene McCarthy was the little boy who said out loud, “Look, the emperor isn’t wearing any clothes.” Bobby Kennedy — rough, tough Bobby Kennedy — didn’t do it. Just this quiet man trained by Benedictines, who liked to quote poetry.
What kind of courage does it take, for mercy’s sake? The majority of the American people (55 percent) think the war in Iraq is a mistake and that we should get out. The majority (65 percent) of the American people want single-payer health care and are willing to pay more taxes to get it. The majority (86 percent) of the American people favor raising the minimum wage. The majority of the American people (60 percent) favor repealing Bush’s tax cuts, or at least those that go only to the rich. The majority (66 percent) wants to reduce the deficit not by cutting domestic spending, but by reducing Pentagon spending or raising taxes. The majority (77 percent) thinks we should do “whatever it takes” to protect the environment. The majority (87 percent) thinks big oil companies are gouging consumers and would support a windfall profits tax. That is the center, you fools. Who are you afraid of?
Perhaps it’s just that Democrats are so used to being the Loyal Opposition that they’ve forgotten how to remove their anterior from their posterior. Perhaps they’ve forgotten all of the wonderful things they were able to accomplish during the Clinton Administration. Or perhaps they’ve been so cowed by Republican demagoguery on security issues that they’re afraid to take on Republicans on their “home” turf.
Whatever the reasons, it would be hard to argue with the reality that, since 9.11, Democrats seem to have lost their collective cojones. They have allowed the GOP to portray Democrats as the party of appeasement and timidity when it comes to terrorism. Republicans have succeeded in convincing the American sheeple that they and they alone have what it takes to protect America from the threat of terrorism. Democrats are all about dawdling and coddling while Republicans work to make certain that Osama bin Laden and his minions will not be able to attack this country again.
Until and unless the Democratic Party can figure out to counter Republican propaganda, Democrats will continue to be the party of appeasers while Republicans continue as stout defenders of the American Way of Life. If all Democrats have to offer is John Kerry, Joe Biden, and Hillary Clinton, Republicans will continue to have their way. And we will all be porrer for it.
