14 March 2006 - 12:07am
Clowns to the left of me, jokers to my right, here I am....
...stuck to the left of the Democratic Party with you.
I never would have thought I’d have become so marginalized so fucking fast that I’d be out in third-party land abandoned by your so-called Democratic Party to the extent that I’m the fucking ideological extremist compared to, of all people, fucking Markos Zuniga. Markos fucking Zuniga! Man, remember when that guy represented the crazy wing of the democratic party, if only in appearance? That he’s now the fella who sometimes passes as your netroots progressive savior by staking out the most conservative turf in the Democratic fold is no matter.
Sweet Jesus. I always considered myself a pragmatist. A reasonable man, if you will. And I still do. But there’s nothing pragmatic about supporting the same old ineffectuals if your aiming for an effect. And if you’re dumb enough to think that a “progressive� movement, if the word means anything at all, is going to achieve progressive goals, by doing something as simple as blindly supporting Democrats, then you should thank Jesus that the Republicans haven’t gotten around to dismantling the FDA yet, cause you’re apparently ripe to buy any old snake oil.
...and you....
My most ‘radical’ position was support of gay marriage, which never seemed all that radical to me, even when over half of voters didn’t support, at minimum, civil unions. Now they do, making my ‘radical’ position that much less radical—but nearly the entire Democratic Party is to the right of me on most issues, even though my positions haven’t changed. That’s a pretty significant shift in a couple of years.� The party that created a vacuum now resents those who have risen to fill it.
So we find that our choice is between a party we loathe and a party who loathes us, a party who exploits the fears and prejudices of its base for votes or a party who exploits the passionate desire for change of its base for cash. Quite a choice indeed.
And sure there are bright spots—as I write, I have received an email from Russ Feingold* about his introduction of a resolution to censure Bush for his wiretapping program. But it ends with the usual solicitation of donations, and all I can think about is Chris Rock: “Men braggin' about shit they s’posed to do anyway. 'I take care of my kids.' Whatcha want, a cookie?!?� The Democrats have been so thoroughly, scandalously lackluster at doing their fucking jobs that now every time they lift a finger, it’s turned into a fundraising opportunity. And that offends me. I’m a voter and a taxpayer. We pay their salaries. They’re supposed to work for us, though they have clearly forgotten. We didn't send them to D.C. to be enablers, but defenders and advocates of what we hold dear.
...and you....
When it comes down to it, the real problem is that today's national Dems have no interest in reframing any issues or reshaping the discourse, it's all about scraping just enough votes to win. Perhaps if they actually read and engaged the netroots they could figure out how to excite the massive number of citizens who are turned off by the current political fakery and don't vote at all -- and stop chasing the Republican sheeple. Listening to handpicked-Dem focus groups and highly paid consultants with years of experience hasn't seemed to do much for the party at the national level, has it?
The party is clueless -- the fact that the dance of continually asking the uncouth cousin to remain silent yet foot the bill for their party of friends is over. There's no going back, unless the dolts in both parties want to try to ignore, or if scared enough of blogs, attempt again to legislatively crush or regulate the netroots. And don't think it couldn't happen, given the established political culture in Washington that has everything to lose when speech is free.
...and you....
I really encourage everyone to listen to the full interview which Sen. Russ Feingold gave today with George Stephanopolous on ABC's This Week, in which Feingold announced that he was introducing a Resolution to censure George Bush for breaking the law with his warrantless eavesdropping program aimed at Americans. Crooks & Liars has the video of the full interview here. The full transcript of the interview is here.
As you listen to it, just imagine where this scandal would be if Democrats had simply come out from the beginning and taken a strong stand in defense of the rule of law and our constitutional principles, instead of listening to those worthless, fear-driven Beltway consultants who -- as Feingold pointed out -- counseled that Democrats should just allow Bush to break the law because it was too risky politically to oppose it.
...and, um, me . . . . . . . (follow the dots)
...and even the Tarot.
Updated 14 March to fix the typo in the title. I'm thinking maybe I should have called it Clowns to the right of me, fascists to their right, here I am.....
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Comments
I've been giving third-party land some thought lately and wondering if maybe it's time we stopped complaining about the Democratic party and how it's not listening to it's netroots, etc and do something on our own. After all, I think this country might be ready for a change and the blogsphere has proven to be very powerful in its own right. If we could actually organize ourselves into our own political party, we could raise the money and pass on the message. After all, we've done it for Them. Maybe it's time we did it for ourselves.
How many times these idiots call themselves "centrist" or moderates all the while making inferences that the so called "far left" is equivalent to the extremist windnuttery of the "far right".
John of Americablog babbled on about being "librul" but not too "librul" the other week.
Now the second time with in a week Kos gushes over his "friendship" with the racist bigoted homophobe Redstater... but he is just being pragmatic... when NARAL makes alliances with GOPers they are just being silly women.
As you listen to it, just imagine where this scandal would be if Democrats had simply come out from the beginning and taken a strong stand in defense of the rule of law and our constitutional principles, instead of listening to those worthless, fear-driven Beltway consultants who -- as Feingold pointed out -- counseled that Democrats should just allow Bush to break the law because it was too risky politically to oppose it.
OK, this is what the CA Democratic party and various labor leaders, consultants told the CNA, CA Nurses to do when they were handed a shitty contract by Arnholt... told he ws too powerful politically and to make the best of it.
To their credit and their leader, Rose diMauro and others who joined them (teachers firefighters home health aides) they fought back. They brought his humbers 20 pts lower and got a better deal. They demonstrated at his political backers offices, as well.
He is rebuilding, but nobody is sleeping. A cross over Dem who joined to help Arnold is being brought down politically.
Yo have to fight back. You have to. 'Course the Democrats have shown negligible to no sign of life (real life) since about a week after Clinton took office - and not much for 15+ years before that. They are moribund, ossified.
Velvet Alley some time ago. That's the almost unavoidable price of becoming an insider. Same goes for achieving any sort of prominence in a meaningful political organization. Even Feingold is bathed in timidity; he only floats censure because he knows it will go nowhere and have no consequence.
Brandy Baker, Nicole Colson, and Sharon Smith have been writing about feminist estrangement from the DP for several years now. I just wanted to give them some love, too.
Oh, and don't forget Patricia Goldsmith and Margaret Kimberly when it comes to disenchanted liberals. Always worth a read.