Democrats Need A New Voice

I don't really want a Democratic Party that speaks with only one voice. A party whose members are bullied into supporting the party line even when they know it is wrong, but much of the country does. That is the Republican approach and all too often we've seen them march like lemmings off the cliff.

Some voters like a party with a single message for the reasons John Dean discussed in his book, "Conservatives Without Conscience" (see previous post). Other voters prefer a more unified voice since it indicates a party with a plan and members who are united to achieve it. Voters want action and affective governance, not more political in-fighting.

I believe the Democratic Pary agrees on broad goals they would like to achieve if once again given the chance to lead. Unfortunately, the party does not have a leader that can articulate their goals. To be honest, Harry Reid and Nancy Pelosi are not the right people to be the face of the Democratic Party at this point. Their personalities, public demeanor and rhetoric styles are just what Republicans want. I'm sure Harry Reid is a good person and a first rate senator, but neither he nor Nancy Pelosi give anyone confidence that Democrats can lead and defend this country.

Howard Dean is much more articulate and could do a better job of explaining Democratic positions, but he carries too much political baggage from his presidential run. His political smarts are essential to future Democratic victories, but he is not going to convince voters to vote for Democrats.

Democrats need more specific proposals and an articulate voice to explain them.


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Conservatives Without Conscience

I just finished John Dean's new book, "Conservatives Without Conscience." The preface, which explained how he came to write the book, was very interesting. The first part of the book was a little academic. I was hoping for some political fireworks. But John Dean brought together a lot of academic research to help explain the success of the Republicans the past couple of decades and why we should be concerned. At times it was chilling.

Conservatives will believe nothing in this book, but if, like me, you've encountered right wing rantings and hatred and wonder where it comes from, this book may help explain it. The book was interesting and seemed to be very well researched. Dean has many references to back up his writing.

Wading through the first part prepares you for the second part where you do indeed get some political fireworks and insight. Don't give up, finish the book. You'll like it. Unless you are a conservative. It is not very flattering to them.

Technorati Tags: Political Republicans Conservatives Without Conscience John Dean

Say It Ain't So

There was a report on NBC Nightly News tonight that the administration is planning a new call-up of a significant number of reservists this fall. It was also reported that the administration believes this call-up will be politically damaging, so they will not announce it until after the November elections.

I have no idea if either of these items are true, but I will be watching. If there is to be a call-up and if it would be better for the country to make such an announcement after the elections, that would be one thing. If it were better for our war effort in Iraq, that would be another. If it were better for the reservists to wait until after November to be called-up, that would be still another. But to wait because it would help Republicans win an election, that makes my blood boil.

I really am tired of being cynical about every decision the President makes. I really do hope tonight's news reports are wrong.

Technorati Tags: Political President Bush Iraq

Thanks, Bill

I chuckled when I heard the joke, President Bush has given hope to all school children. He has proven that ANYONE can grow up to be President.

Of course, it helps to have a father with all the right connections.

This old joke came back to me as I watched President Clinton on MSNBC tonight. I like a President who is smarter than I am. Someone who understands not only how to win elections, but how to use logic, reason and intelligence to communicate ideas. A President who wants to build communities through consensus and not fear. A President who is more interested in listening, understanding and proposing solutions than in lecturing. A President who is interested in governing the country and not just pandering to his base. How I long for the good old days.

How Long Can Republicans Blame Clinton?

A recent round of Clinton (Bill) bashing, made me once again wonder how many years it will take Republicans to get over their inferiority complex, take responsiblity for their own actions and quit blaming President Clinton for the ills of the world. In comparison to what we have now, he looks better every day.

It also made me wonder which will occur first,

A) Republicans stop blaming President Clinton for ________ (fill in the blank)

OR

B) The last US soldier leaves Iraq.

You've got to admit, that's a tough call.


Technorati Tags: Political Republicans Bill Clinton

The Worst President Ever, Nixon or Bush?

I think George Bush, the current president, is a terrible president. Of course, I didn't believe he possessed the necessary qualities to be elected the first time.

I wonder if there is a relationship with President Bush's "stay the course" policies and whatever illogic led people to re-elect him in 2004. Maybe many voters had to vote for him again or admit that they made a mistake the first time. Not a character trait that Republicans seem to exhibit. Or maybe it took more nuanced analysis than most Republican voters can muster.

But my musings today actually have me wondering if history will view President Nixon or President Bush (43) as the worst US President ever. In fairness, we should wait until President Bush's term ends in 2009 to take a poll, although I think I have enough evidence to vote today.

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Now Wouldn't That Be Ironic?

After a violent few weeks, the war between Israel and Hezbollah seems to be over. This may be an ONCGTC moment (only Nixon could go to China). As bloody as the conflict was, it may have set the stage for a period of tranquility. There was world wide opinion that Israel lost the war, but more likely they "lost" the war and won the political battle.

I heard one commentator say that toward the end of the war, Israel was left pursuing the "Mad Dog" strategy. The idea was that while Israel could not easily win the war, they could make life so difficult for the Lebanese that they would not tolerate anyone poking the dog again. A slight provocation might set the mad dog on another rampage.

For decades, Israel has evoked an image of invincibilty. It had defeated all its neighbors and left them disheartened and demoralized. This is not a state conducive to compromise or peace. While objectively no one can claim that Hezbollah beat Israel, by not losing the Middle East sees them as victors. Now that Hezbollah has the aura of a winner, they may be more willing and able to negotiate.

Even if the money came from Iran, it was amazing how quickly Hezbollah started to help rebuild Lebanon. They were already organizing as a political party before the war. Hezbollah would probably win any election in Lebanon at this point, but not if people thought they would kick the dog again. If Hezbollah wants to become a political power and run the government in Lebanon, that is good. I don't believe the Lebanese people will allow them to start a war with Israel again.

It was amazing (and terribly ironic, given President Bush's Iraqi policies) that Hassan Nasrallah, the leader of Hezbollah, said that "Had we known that the kidnapping of the soldiers would have led to this, we would definitely not have done it." Although they may not like him, Nasrallah may have the stature as a winner to negotiate some real solutions. Now that he is a winner, he may no longer feel the need to prove his military power (and would hopefully realize if he starts trouble again the Israelis will be better prepared).

One commentator, shortly after the cease fire, stated that even with a cease fire Israel still planned to eventual assassinate Nasrallah. At this point that would be very bad. Israel should not forget that Menachem Begin, who was eventually an Israeli Prime Minister, started out with terrorist ties. Nasrallah may be someone Israel can make deals with. Israel should, and probably is, working on a deal to get their two kidnapped soldiers back. This is a chance for Israel to determine if Hezbollah can be encouraged to negotiate instead of fight. Hint, another win for Hezbollah might not be such a bad thing.

Israel should keep the mad dog snarl, but encourage and help Hezbollah to be a positive political force in Lebanon. The Lebanese people have struck blows for democracy on their own so their desire for freedom and what looks to be a desire by Hezbollah to govern might be the right mix to make Lebanon one of those beacons of democracy in the Middle East we've been hearing about.

Now wouldn't that be ironic.

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The Smirk Has To Go

Senator George Allen, Republican from Virginia, was on Meet The Press this morning. It is never appropriate to judge the competency of a candidate by their visual appeal or lack thereof, but the voters of Virginia should be commended for electing George Allen even though he often exhibits a horrendous smirk.

His smirk is so bad, I'm sure it is the nickname people use behind his back. According to Wikipedia, a smirk "refers to a smile evoking insolence, scorn, or offensive smugness".

I don't know if Senator Allen's smirk is the result of an unfortunate physical malady or represents a personality leak. In any case, it needs to be removed by plastic surgery or counseling. It may be that he has had it for so long that the only group that can remove it are voters.

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They Didn't Volunteer To Be Sacrificed

I support the all volunteer military and greatly appreciate the brave men and women who have volunteered to defend our country.

I do have to wonder if a volunteer military has allowed the human costs of this war to be hidden.

There is a rumor that a secret report has conceded that we have already lost Anbar province in western Iraq. I heard a comment that it would take 50 to 60 thousand troops to even try to take it back. How many people who agree with President Bush's "stay the course" plan would be willing to stay the course if a draft were needed to supply the 50,000 additional troops?

We need a real plan to get out of Iraq. We cannot indefinitely sacrifice our military on a failed plan just because they volunteered.

Technorati Tags: Political President Bush Iraq Military Draft

Shame on you, President Bush.

The Bush administration's assertion that they should be able to convict and punish a person based on information that the defendant is not allowed to hear and, therefore, cannot defend himself against, is outrageous. To insist that the government should be able to convict defendants based on confessions induced by torture or testimony from witnesses who were tortured is equally absurd. That a President of the United States is proposing such actions is beyond words.

There are certainly many bad people in this world who deserve to live the rest of their lives in a cell or to be executed, but the government cannot punish someone just because the government thinks they deserve to be punished. We give our government vast powers, but we require them to exercise them within laws to help insure that these powers are not abused. This not only protects us from abuse by government officials, but it also from ourselves. While outrageous acts might move us to outrageous reactions, our laws remind us we have agreed on ideas and ideals that are more important than the emotional reactions of the moment.

Convicting people of unnamed crimes or based on coerced testimony sounds like something out of the old USSR or a third world dictatorship, not the United States of America.

Shame on you, President Bush.

Technorati Tags: Political President Bush War on Terror

John Boehner - WTHWYT

According to House Majority Leader John Boehner,

"I listen to the questions today and I listen to my Democrat friends, and I wonder if they are more interested in protecting the terrorists than protecting the American people."

I read your statement and wonder if you are more interested in the welfare of this country or saving your political ass!

And you are a liar. Democrats aren't your friends. A friend wouldn't make such a heinous statement.

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The Love Story Presidency

This is the Love Story Presidency..

Being a Bushie means never saying you're sorry.

Or, for that matter, that you ever made a mistake.

Or, even worse, admitting all your assumptions for going to war were wrong, but still insisting that even knowing they were wrong you would still go to war. Unbelievable.

If a definition of insanity is doing the same thing and expecting a different outcome, what do you call voters who still support Bush's policies in Iraq? Worse, what does "stay the course" say about President Bush?

Technorati Tags: Political President Bush Iraq War on Terror

2¢ On Confusion To Lose

It is clear that the President and Republicans plan to win elections riding a horse named Confusion.

According to a story on NPR, President Bush said,

"We should all agree that the battle for Iraq is now central to the ideological struggle of the 21st century."

I don't know why we should all agree, but he goes on to say,

"We will not allow the terrorists to dictate the future of this century, so we will defeat them in Iraq."

I don't believe the President is stupid, so unless the Generals are lying to Congress, the President knows as well as we do that the fighting in Iraq is primarily an insurgency and a civil/sectarian war. So why is he misrepresenting what is going on in Iraq and insisting we are fighting terrorists there? Political expediency. Republicans still believe voters consider them better at protecting the country from terrorists, so every attempt is made to fool voters into believing that the war in Iraq is the central front in the war on terror.

Republicans have often suggested that Democrats don't want the US to succeed in Iraq because a failed Iraq can be blamed on the Republicans for political advantage, but it is becoming clear that the President sees political advantage in an Iraq in turmoil. If Iraq is a mess and he can conflate the war in Iraq and the war on terror, he stands to gain politically. We are in the third election cycle where Republicans have tried to convince voters that only they can be trusted to fight terrorism. If Iraq, the central front in the war on terror, were to become a peaceful, stable democracy, why would we need Republicans who have shown incompetence in so many other areas?

If the President honestly wants to bring the troops home soon and leave a stable Iraq, he would tell the truth. We made a mistake going into Iraq, but we've made a mess over there and we can't soon leave. While it was not a haven for terrorists, it could well become one if we leave a failed government there, so we now have both moral and selfish reasons for not abandoning Iraq. Of course, since the President has linked the Iraq with the war on terror, admitting problems in Iraq means admitting problems with his war on terror. Never gonna happen.

The President should also admit that our misadventure in Iraq have emboldened and empowered Iran. So before we leave we need to have a clear policy and plan for dealing with Iran. We are now fighting a war with Iran in Iraq. I don't know if that is a war we can ever win, but the President should start telling the truth, especially if he harbors any plans to take on Iran directly.

I thought the President was a man who believed in personal responsibility. A responsible action now would be to work to fix the mess in Iraq. A responsible action would be to admit mistakes. A responsible action would be to level with the American people and not try confuse voters in order to re-elect Republicans. I guess I got that wrong, he believes in personal responsibility - present company excluded.

Technorati Tags: Political President Bush Iraq War on Terror

Simple Lebanon Solution

Some facts about the current Israeli attacks within Lebanon are obvious.

• Lebanon and the Lebanese people are suffering more than they should.
• Israel has lost the moral high ground. Many countries who don't normally support Israel initially conceded Israel had a right to defend itself. Unfortunately, Israel has gone way beyond defending themselves.
• Israel decided to use this provocation to justify destroying Hezbollah. They misjudged the situation. They can't take out Hezbollah from the air. They can't afford a land war in Lebanon.
  
• Continued fighting is only benefiting Hezbollah.
• The world sees the Lebanese as victims, not as citizens of a country that supports terrorists and allows attacks on other countries to originate from within its borders.
  
• It is not possible to move Hezbollah far enough away from the Israeli border to protect Israel from Hezbollah rockets.
• The chances of getting an international force on the border that can solve this problem is zero.
  

Now that they've gotten the attention of the world and at least a few concessions that they have the right to defend themselves, Israel should go to the UN and offer a full cease-fire and pull-out with a condition and one stipulation. The condition is that Hezbollah return the two kidnapped soldiers. The stipulation is that Israel has the right to defend themselves.

The US should offer a simple resolution; Israel has a right to defend itself from attacks from outside its borders. Although even such an obvious statement might not be adopted, the US and Israel would have started a move to return Israel to the moral high ground.

Israel and the US should also make it clear that it is the responsibility of Lebanon to insure that Israel is not attacked by people from within Lebanon. Israel should clearly state that it will consider any rocket launched from within Lebanon to be an act of war by Lebanon. If they are attacked again by forces based in Lebanon, Israel will take whatever military action they feel is necessary. The people of Lebanon need to understand that they will be held responsible for the acts of Hezbollah, a group that is accepted by much of their country and is actually part of their government.

It is clear that the Lebanese Army cannot stop Hezbollah, but Israel should now use the people of Lebanon and the world to help control the problem. Israel has made the point that it will aggressively defend itself, it now needs to use this opportunity to get additional support from the world to keep Hezbollah's and Iran's aggression in check. I know some people will point out that Hezbollah, Iran and much of the world are not interested in morality, but I would point out that Israeli bombs have been falling for a couple of weeks now and that hasn't stopped the rockets either.

From the news it seems like Israel can pinpoint the source of a rocket launch quickly. If a rocket is launched, Israel should try to take out the launcher and other Hezbollah facilities in the area. The response doesn't need to be limited to just the launcher, but the response must be somewhat proportional to attack. The responses could escalate in severity if attacks continue.

Every attack should bring a complaint from Israel and the US at the UN. That won't necessarily stop the attacks, but it will help keep the world focused on Hezbollah's aggression and strengthen Israel's position if they have to attack again.

Israel had more support at the beginning of the current fighting than they've ever had. They should learn from this and build on it.

Technorati Tags: Political Israel Lebanon Hezbollah

Coulter Vs. The WWF

The press is giving Ann Coulter way too much attention. No one who can carry on a reasonably logical conversation or develop a cogent thought listens to what she has to say.

People listen to and watch Anne Coulter for the same reasons they watch professional wrestling. Actually, they are probably the same people.

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Good News Will Set Us Free!

After Joe Scarborough whined last Wednesday about the liberal, anti-American bias of the media and the mainstream media's failure to report the successes in Iraq, what was the lead story on Thursday's Scarborough Country? Natalee Holloway. See my previous post "Scarborough and O'Reilly Can Save Iraq."

Now Joe was off Thursday night and a replacement was sitting in, but I don't think that made much difference. These shows are more interested in ratings than news.

When the Iranian embassy hostage crisis occurred in 1979, ABC (one of the mainstream, liberal media companies) started a nightly half hour news show dedicated to the story. They vowed to keep the program on until the hostage crisis was resolved, which they did. I'm sure they never imagined the hostages would be held for over a year, but true to their word, ABC kept the nightly news show on and reported the details of the hostage story every week night. Once the hostages were released they continued the show, Nightline, as a nightly news show.

Fox, to their credit, has dedicated one of their shows to an on-going news event. On The Record, with Greta Van Susteren, has dedicated itself to reporting every detail about the disappearance of Natalee Holloway. They will not stop until the truth is known. They are dedicated to covering this story no matter how long it takes or where the grisly details lead.

I don't blame the Holloway family for trying to keep Natalee's story alive, but if Fox had spent this much time on Jimmy Hoffa, we'd now know who killed him and where he is buried.

Ok all you conservatives. I keep hearing how the insurgents can't beat us in a war (which they can't), so the insurgent's goal is to take a page from the Vietnamese and attack the will of the American people. Many of you are sure that it is only by breaking the will of the American people that the insurgents and terrorists can defeat us in Iraq. You insist that the liberal media are playing into the hands of the insurgents and terrorists by reporting only one side of the Iraq story. The side where things are not going well. So get over there are start reporting the good news. Dedicate a nightly show to all the good things that are happening in Iraq. Promise to keep it going until members of the U.S. armed forces are not dying in Iraq. Keep Americans up beat about the progress of the war. Don't let the liberal media brainwash the American public into thinking this war is not worth the cost. Let us hear about all the good things that are happening. You can present all the good news and counter the bad news that is gleefully reported by the liberal, mainstream media. You show those wimpy, mainstream reporters how real men get the story.

You can do it. Get over there, create a nightly show, tell us the real story. Save Iraq. If you report all the good things that are happening in Iraq, the war is as good as won! We don't need a plan. We don't need competency. We don't need a reconciliation government in Iraq. We don't need an exit strategy. We just need to hear the good news.

The good news will set us free!

Technorati Tags: Political Scarborough O'Reilly Fox News Iraq Liberal Media

Scarborough and O'Reilly Can Save Iraq

Tonight on MSNBC's Scarborough Country, Joe Scarborough picked up President Bush's whine that the mainstream media (also known in conservative circles as the liberal media) are failing to report the good news from Iraq. Conservatives are claiming that the failure of the media to provide balanced reporting has led to President Bush's low poll numbers and a growing opinion that we should get out of Iraq. The ground work is being laid to blame the liberal media and Democrats for future failures and setbacks in Iraq.

What world do these people live in? Joe Scarborough has five hours of prime time TV every week. Probably 10 and 15 hours in some markets with rebroadcasts. O'Reilly has the same amount of air time. Hell, Fox has a whole damn network! If the mainstream media is so bad why don't these guys get off their whining asses and move their shows to Baghdad? They could set up their own studios with big windows opening on downtown Baghdad. Live from Baghdad, it's Scarborough Country! The O'Reilly Factor, fair and balanced live reporting of all the good news from the vacation capital of the world, Iraq! Maybe Bill would have to change the name of the show to The O'Reilly Fear Factor.

Joe could report 5 hours of live, good news from Iraq every week. He would be the darling of conservatives. His ratings would eclipse the Super Bowl! At least with those two over there we would get some real reporting and not just balcony interviews.

So here's the challenge to all you blowhard, whining conservative commentators. Get your whining asses over to Iraq and tell us what the real truth is on the ground. I don't mean spend a weekend there. Move there. Give us reporting of the daily successes and prevent the insurgents from winning the PR battle. Save Iraq.

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Help Is Coming

I've written several posts on the need to get our population (and the world's) under control. I'm happy to report that it's beginning to look like help is on the way. Bird flu may solve our problem, at least for a few decades. If bird flu mutates in a way that allows easy transmission of the disease from person to person, we can expect many millions of people to die. As a bonus, the strain that a pandemic would place on public health services would probably drain resources from the fight against AIDS with another bonanza of deaths. If we can decrease the world's population by 500 million or, if we are lucky, a billion people, maybe common sense will prevail and the survivors will realize that over population threatens human survival and the world.

And if they don't see the need and figure out how to limit human population to a level that the earth can sustain, we can rely on some future calamity to bring the numbers back down. We can only hope this occurs before we irreversibly damage the environment.


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We Need Lots Of Plans!

I’m really getting tired of Republicans carping that Democrats complain about Iraq, but have no plan of their own. If they mean a single plan that all Democrats agree on, then they’re right. The Republicans certainly have a single plan they all agree on and look where it’s gotten us. They can’t even acknowledge that “We’ll stand down as the Iraqi’s stand up.” is not a plan, it is a hope, a wish, and more recently, a prayer. I don’t want Democrats to come up with a single plan and I wish Republicans with the guts to take on this administration would express their true feelings. I heard an articulate and reasonable Senator Chuck Hagel this weekend. I’d like to hear more of his real thoughts on the war. We need new ideas; lots of new ideas. Politicians should be encouraged to suggest lots of plans. If the pros and cons of each are discussed with an open mind, we might really figure out what a true exit strategy is.

We don’t need a plan from the Democrats that they will feel compelled to defend lest they be called “wafflers”. If the Democrats could come up with a single plan, what good would it do them? They are in no position to do anything about it. They are in no position to implement any of it. It would just give a single point for Republicans to attack. As the situation changes and new proposals and options are suggested, these ideas would be ridiculed as just more examples of the lack of Democrat’s resolve. Democrats, as individuals, have made many suggestions. Some have actually been borrowed by the administration, but no one is ever going to give them any credit. Democrats should continue to talk about their concerns and ideas, even if they don’t have an all inclusive plan. Not many politicians or people agree with Representative Murtha’s plan to pull out of Iraq immediately, but no one can deny that he has moved the discussion and thinking forward. We need more suggestions.

I recently heard several people on the talk shows suggest that dissent and discussion in this country only strengthens the resolve of people like the insurgents in Iraq. The implication is that opponents should shut up and support the President. Not only would this spell the end of the Democratic Party, it is not how a democracy works. People seem to believe that it is OK to have their phone tapped as long as someone promises security in return. Would they really give up their right to dissent also? Do the pundits realize that governments and citizens that project a single policy or opinion are usually called dictatorships?

Senator Dianne Feinstein was on Hardball with Chris Matthews (MSNBC) tonight. She did an excellent job of laying out the problems in Iraq and suggesting a course of action. For those of you who think Democrats have no ideas, get a copy of her interview. She made more sense in three minutes than the President has in the last three months. I understand that as a Senator she has more freedom to make certain kinds of statements than the President, but that is the very reason we need people like her to speak out.

As the ’08 presidential campaign heats up and a Democratic presidential candidate is chosen, I would expect that the Democrats will try to project a united front with a common solution to our problems. I’m sure that after the Democrat’s presidential candidate is elected, the party will break down into nuanced discussions, heated policy arguments, wishy-washy policies and general political disarray. Just the kind of energy, soul searching, flexibility and responsiveness that keeps a democracy energized.

Technorati Tags: Political President Bush Iraq Exit Strategy

Trees For Schools

The U.S. Forest Service is getting ready to sell about 300,000 acres of land in 32 states to finance the Secure Rural Schools Act (SRSA). This is about 200 square miles of land. This land is typically forest land in national forests. Once this land is sold, cut for wood and/or mined, we can never replace it. There must be other ways to fund these schools.

What do we do in five years when we again need money for SRSA? Sell more land? What do we sell when we run out of forests?

Missouri, where I live, doesn't have any large national parks. The closest we come is our national forests and we don't want to lose them. The Forest Service plans to sell 21,000 acres of forest in Missouri.

One doesn't have to be cynical to believe this sale is more about making resources available to business that funding a program. I'm sure the thinking was "Who can argue with selling a few trees in order to educate children?" Certainly not this administration which is always ready to give business a helping hand. By the way, the Forest Service is already looking for more forest land to sell.

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