I Must Be A Progressive - My Rant

[Steely_Dan]

I suppose that all this time I thought I was a Democrat...But I guess I'm NOT!

I thought I stood for caring for my brother, for honesty in government, for tolerance and justice...

WHERE ARE THE DEMOCRATS???

The Right couldn't be more accommodating to the Democrats...they are handing it over to us on a silver platter and what do the Democrats do? They fold! They should be out there calling for the heads of those who have crapped on our country and turned it into the mess it has become. But they are silent.

The Democrats think that they can get elected by representing themselves as "Republican Light." This is bullshit. Because of their silence, I'm beginning to think that I am no longer a Democrat...I must be a Progressive. The Right has won..they have essentially redefined who I am.

I feel completely lost...my political identity was stolen from me. This is the most discouraged I have felt in a long time. And it shouldn't be that way. Not with so much going wrong with the Right...yet, I feel it does no good to be a Democrat when so few, if any, are standing up. With so few that have the balls to call these people to task, I feel like a man without a party.

-Paige

[Canuckistanian]

1. Have patience.... They're just waiting for the *right moment*

Any day now... (crickets)

[Gnostic]

2. Do you really believe...

...in the two party fraud system in power?

It's a mirage.

[Steely_Dan]

3. I'm Beginning to...

...see the light.

-paige

[raccoon]

49. Right on!

I think the Democrats are slightly less objectionable than the Republicans, but both these parties belong to big business.

[rawtribe]

4. The fact

that you call yourself a Progressive and not a Liberal is prof the right has won.

The Democratic party is all but dead. They could come back if they would tap into the anger I see everyday.

We need a unified voice from the so called leaders in this lifeless party. I don't hear it, they don't hear me. I write, I call and the result is an empty feeling, like I wasted my time.

Your not alone.

[CrispyQ]

50. I have sent 2 letters to the DLC dems with

little or no response. The few I got were canned "thanks for writing" bullshit.

Ariana Huffington said last year, that Kerry was wrong to go after the undecided voters. She said he should take a strong anti-war stance & go after the no-voters. I believe she is right. I believe there are millions who don't vote because they see little or no difference between the two parties.

As long as corporate influence is allowed in our political system, we will have politicians who are beholdened to the corporations, not WE THE PEOPLE.

[ladylibertee]

5. I agree:

If what you are saying defines you as a progressive, then I guess so.

YOU SAY:They should be out there calling for the heads of those who have crapped on our country and turned it into the mess it has become. But they are silent.

Why? So the republicans can dismiss the reasons why the entire party is in total disarray by blaming all the confusion on the DEMOCRATS? I don't think so my friend.The Democrats are right to stay out of this dog fight.Let the Republicans fight each other in front of the whole world.

Meanwhile,the Democrats have been meeting,focusing on their agenda,adding mores states to the primaries,helping the Katrina victims,and targeting moderates and disappointed conservatives to gain support for 2006 and 2008.Knowing that their Liberal base is secure,they focus on these others and will use very different tactics to gain their votes than they would use for us.There is a good, strategic, purpose for why some of our leaders "appear" centralist.USE SOME COMMON SENSE!

Thank you, a Democrat

[Gnostic]

6. And what really changes?

Still no health care for the poor. Still no unified voice for worker's rights. Both sides pushing for NAFTA/CAFTA. I could go on and on.

The Democratic party is in trouble, has been for quite some time. It needs to wake up and LISTEN to it's base and core supporters. Look at this thread so far....posters who feel left out, unheard, unseen, uncared for. Loyalty is sewn by service. It is not to be taken for granted. Loyalty has a very finite lifespan for the Unanswered.

Where is the strong, dependable, unwavering representation?

At least the right understand the basic concept of creating an agenda and STICKING TO IT no matter what as a key to success. The dems need to learn this lesson.

There is a great potential for the party to make a come-back, if only it would BE a party instead of merely existing.

[ladylibertee]

7. Well,

As far as "Still no health care for the poor. Still no unified voice for worker's rights. Both sides pushing for NAFTA/CAFTA. I could go on and on."

If you had CSPAN 2 where you can actually see democrats in the House trying to get bills passed through to the senate,you would see that they are fighting for the NATION'S Interest.You would also see that we are outnumbered.That's why the focus is gaining seats in the senate.


As far as your suspicious praise for the right "At least the right understand the basic concept of creating an agenda and STICKING TO IT no matter what as a key to success. The Dem's need to learn this lesson."

The agenda they have and stick to is, in case you do not own a television,happens to be a CRIME.We have already made steps and are currently executing our agenda irregardless of whether or not,our "small" number of overly, extremist understands the big picture or not.

[nadinbrzezinski]

9. hmm we are extremists

I see....

What you are readying is a base that is waiting

Moreover, not every body watches C-SPAN 1 or C-SPAN 2 (I do by the way)... in fact most folks don't

Now instead of talking down to people, THINK why that perception (and I suspect in some cases it is not a perception, need I mention voting records here, not speeches), is there.

You see you are very loyal and will defend anything anybody with a D behind their name does. Some of us will NOT defend CAFTA or NAFTA or the bankruptcy bill. If this was uncommon, ok... but this is common

Now thank the Pugs for their amazing voting discipline, majority or not, they have voted as a block. We don't/ If the pugs were the pugs of another era when they actually crossed the aisle and made alliances, that is another matter, but this is war, war to kill us... and we are not acting like it

Now don't interrupt while they self destruct... but for god sakes, don't vote for the bankruptcy bill EN MASSE.... and that is what people are asking, why is it that we have not gone to war... but have at best engaged in preliminary recon and skirmishes... The pugs are at war, and will be at war for the foreseeable future... we are not.

And this is the elephant in the room that many are seeing and pointing to.. time to stop denying there is a problem and actually demand change... I know I am, and hold my elected officials to task.

On edit, the en masse is the DLC for the most part.

[ladylibertee]

I respectfully disagree with your opinion.

You say this about me:

"You see you are very loyal and will defend anything anybody with a D behind their name does."

You are sadly mistaken.I was irate when both my democratic senators voted to confirm Roberts.i even threatened then both with supporting any democratic opponent should they seek re-election.The difference is, I also look at the big picture.I will still vote because I want my party to re-claim the WH. that does not mean I am a fool.I am loyal to my party.:patriot: :kick:

[nadinbrzezinski]

18. I know you do

I feel the bubbling under the surface, you don't... so we can agree to disagree and if you want to call me an extremest, go for it... will wear the badge with honor...

;-)

[TreasonousBastard]

38. Just thought I'd mention that Scalia...

was approved by the Senate 98-0.

Trashing a reasonably decent Senator over the Roberts vote may not be such a great idea. How they doin' with things like keeping oil wells, coal mines and condos out of the National Parks, or some of the other serious stuff?

[Gnostic]

52. Ostrich syndrome

Burying your head in the sand does'nt change the fact that there are ALOT of disaffected dems out there.

Blind loyalty does'nt change it either.

[ladylibertee]

16. I meant to edit orig.See other post.

[Gnostic]

10. The agenda

they are'nt quite getting is ANTI-WAR, for one small example.

I can't even tell from one dem in power to another whether they are pro or anti-war! Look at Clinton again.

I wonder if the dems even know what being anti-war even is anymore.

They do not stand up in unity for other issues like NAFTA/CAFTA, which I took notice you slyly avoided. Could you explain to me why Clinton even was an ardent supporter for that selling out of America?

As I said before, I could go on and on. I don't want to sit and watch endless hours of droning in C-Span. I want to see action, and so do alot of others.

Nuff said.

[rawtribe]

11. Why do we have to

watch hours of C-Span to see this agenda?

If it was real wouldn't we all know about it?

How come myself and everyone I know haven't tuned in to this vast left wing conspiracy?

This big picture sure is leaving allot of people in the dark.

[ladylibertee]

15. This big picture sure is leaving allot of people in the dark.I can

certainly understand how it may "feel" and "appear" that way,I just hope you do not allow other to discourage you into thinking we are the forsaken party.Do you know how many Liberal based websites have been bombarded with angry americans wanting answers and wanting to "vent" about the White House? do you know that Mr. O'Lielly is worried about the media using our blog sites to get some of their stories because it's against the RW's and because of us, their dirty laundry is being REPORTED? Who do you think helped put pressure on the media to report Karl Rove,Tom DeLay and all the crap the White House is doing? The republicans? Hello. web site like ours shed light on these stories BEFORE the media gets it.Latest example: Bennett's racial remarks.We in web world were talking about this the day it happened.

[rawtribe]

24. It's because

I follow DU everyday. It's because I share what I find here with my mail list. It's because the left wing bloggs push the agenda that so many of us are angry.

Like I said before the so called leadership of this lifeless party are clueless. When they wakeup they will understand that the people know what's going on. When they go along to get along it's seen as a weakness. Not as a strategy.

If the Dems don't speak with a unified voice, that reflect the bloggs, they are dead in the water.

[ladylibertee]

21. Oh, my god.And where do you want to see the democrats? Out

in the streets marching somewhere with banners? CSPAN 2 shows them LIVE at WORK. You know, WORK? They have a job.They are there sometimes from 9:00 am till 8:00 pm every day.You want to see them express some shit? That's where it's at.

[nadinbrzezinski]

22. Again MOST People DON'T watch C-SPAN

I do, I find special orders especially entertaining... especially when Ron Paul (A libertarian truly even if he has an R behind his name) and Neil Abercrombie patiently explain PNAC to the three watchers of the channel...

that said, there are ways that they COULD make contact with their constituents and at least mine tries. The ever so popular meeting with the voters... even gasp going to DFA meetings (yes she is somewhat of a radical too),

Other ways, and this may take some proactive work on the part of people, signing for E MAIL alerts and news letters. I do, I get them... I read them.

now many reps don't even do the two above... others do...

And as to the TV that is out, for the radicals err progressives, but I love listening to McKinney when she calls Randi on Air America as well as others in the party.

That is HOW you get in contact with the people... not by asking people to watch C-SPAN, even if at times you get to watch history (Medicare bill and DeLay's strong arming... the day our Democracy truly died) They need, another elephant in the room, to learn how to game the media. The pugs have, they are at war, remember that. Oh and this is the other reality that people need to learn.. most people hate the dry discusions on C-SPAN and Senate Votes are especially boring, and you'd think C-SPAN might find another piece of classical music for us to watch the grass grow (while they vote)

[ladylibertee]

26. Well, if these options are not available to them, perhaps, those of us

who are a little more in the know could help by posting our parties agenda here on DU and other liberal sites.BTW There are far more people who have cable than you are suggesting.:think: ;-)

[nadinbrzezinski]

27. It is not about having cable

but actually wanting to seat down and listen to a budget discussion, or for god sakes, special orders.. most people have been conditioned to think that this is boring and very complex stuff, and truth be told it CAN BE boring and COMPLEX... that is why most people rely on the news, and why the party needs to reach out using the new progressive media (and they are... between shutz and randi they are now talking... as well as franken)

Most people have a job and family, they are NOT policy wonks, for me watcing C-SPAN is part of the job, as they have become source material for fiction... yes they are that funny at times.

[ladylibertee]

28. I agree with you.I think the media is do more than what I have been

seeing in the past.

[nadinbrzezinski]

29. but that is only the progressive media

I WANT to see NEil abercrombie on oh I don't know Lou Dobbs, and I don't expect to see that for a long time.

He used to be my rep and he is a national treasure, but he is NOWHERE close to a leadership post and he should.

[ladylibertee]

31. I absolutly LOVE my Lou.I think he does well.

[rawtribe]

32. That's not

where the people are. Who has time to watch C-Span2.

[ladylibertee]

34. Well, That's where the Dem leaders are.You tell me where the hell

are the "people" your talking about? Who have you invited to a town hall meeting?When have you hosted a steak fry or a fundraiser and invited our leaders to come speak? Where are they supposed to meet us?in front of McDonald's? :shrug:

[nadinbrzezinski]

35. I already told you exactly where

they have the means now, progressive airwaves, and they NEED To use them.

I don't expect people to watch C-SPAN, woudl be nice, but I just don't expect it.

[ladylibertee]

36. Have the owners of the airwaves contacted any of our leaders to

invite them on their programs to talk about these issues yet?

[nadinbrzezinski]

37. Air America hosts them on a regular basis

So does Ed Shultz

the main stream media, you are kidding me right? You surely are.. the progresive dems coulo be outside of Congress nekkid and they would not cover that story.


They covered Kucinich ONLY during the debates, mostly they had no choice, or they would not have done it.

[ladylibertee]

39. They are on Hardball, Situation Room w/Wolf Blitzer ,all the time

[nadinbrzezinski]

40. Kucinich is on the Situatioon Room

how about Abercrombie?

Look fact is the Black Causcus usually is not, Kucinish is usually not, the PROGRESIVES are not... and the DLC personnel give one immage of the party, and they are not as much as they should. Media Matters for America has a ratio, last time I checked of 5 Republicans to 1 Democrat... and from my observation almost zilch when it comes to progresives.

You are telling me that Media Matters is wrong?

What about FAIR? Are they wrong too?

[ladylibertee]

41. Fine.Are we going anywhere with this conversation?I think you

should check the board.There are a few new threads I think you should read.:hi:

[nadinbrzezinski]

42. I have checked the board,

and yes there are some.... and no we are not going anywhere, for starters you love Lou Dobbs, I don't trust the MSM, one iota... Operation Mockingbird, look it up (and for that one both parties were involved, hate that damn history degree huh?)

[ladylibertee]

I still love you too. I just wish you would relax a little

[nadinbrzezinski]

44. sorry been waiting for somethign taht is a tad worrisome

right now relaxing is a no no...

Might tell you the story antoher day...

Also when it comes to this, well this is my country, and I did take that nasty oath, you've heard of it, and trust me I hate what the pugs are doing to the country...

[ladylibertee]

45. Please read the new threads

[ladylibertee]

43. I still love you too. I just wish you would relax a little

[rawtribe]

53. Yes

I expect to see them in the streets. Did you watch C-Span on the 24, I didn't. I was in the streets holding a banner.

[loudsue]

57. If YOU haven't noticed, ladylibertee....when those Dems are there

on C-spam speaking from 9 a.m. 'til 8:00 pm every day, THEY ARE SPEAKING TO AN EMPTY ROOM!!!!

It's TIME!!! It's time for the fire in the belly to show in every action the democrats take, from the local, state and federal levels. It's TIME!!! It's time for some NON-whores to be representing us in Washington, DEMANDING fair and open elections, DEMANDING fair coverage in the media, DEMANDING an end to corporate rule and corporate wars and corporate give-aways.

It's time for a revolution of the Dem side of the aisle, and all we're getting is Hillarity out in front, saying "we need to make friends on the republican side by saying abortions aren't always good", and Harry saying he's "pleased" with Meiers nomination to the SUPREME COURT, fer godsake!!

NO!!!! I will not sit patiently by, having fantasies that the Dems are just biding their time, and really trying to save this country from a fascist take-over. I'm NOT THAT FRIKKIN' DRUNK!!!! And I'm NOT THAT FRIKKIN' STUPID!!

They're bought and paid for!! Just like the republicans. And OUR DEMOCRACY is the one suffering! Or have you not noticed that Bush wants to BRING IN THE MILITARY in case we all get the flu????

:kick::kick::kick:

[eridani]

33. Dems did NOT push for CAFTA!

And this was a big change from their stance on NAFTA 10 years ago, and mainly due to lobbying by progressives. 95% of Dems voted against CAFTA, and 95% of Repubs for it. I'd say that was a major difference.

[Gnostic]

54. Clinton pushed for NAFTA

And the Dems in power at the time went right along with it.

And if the dems in power are SO against it, why is it so easily pushed throu congress anyway? Where are the filibusters? Where is the UNIFIED and rock solid stance against it? It's not there.

The Dems need to pull themselves out of big biz's pockets and listen to thier constituency or we will se a repeat of 2000 and 2004 in '06 and '08. Guaranteed.

[eridani]

56. Dems have changed for the better since NAFTA

95% against CAFTA was a huge improvement. CAFTA would have lost had the Repubs not been so successful in armtwisting their anti-"free" trade congresscritters.

[mestup]

8. The left needs to hijack the "family values" mantra right now!

Go after the largest percentage of voters in the US - the non voters. They need to talk tough about single payer healthcare, wages, the environment and education. These are today's "family values," regardless of anyone's position on abortion or gay marriage or whatever money-making wedge issue they've been using.

Democratic Socialists of America
http://www.dsausa.org/dsa.html

[nadinbrzezinski]

12. We could, if progresives were in charge not the DLC (eom)

[mestup]

14. Will Progressives be the first to figure out it's about the non-voters?

If they do, the DLC is in trouble.

It appears the Dems face the same problems as the Repubs - polarization within their own parties.

I just hope that while current pols are busy trying to figure out how to woo the repeat voters, the Progressives (or Greens or SOMEBODY) will finally get a forehead-slap moment and find out how to tap the non-voters.

[nadinbrzezinski]

17. I think they are

and why the DLC is reacting the way they are... screaming and calling progressives reactionaries... look at DFA, democraty for America, which according to the DLC is probably kooks of America

We are seeing a repeat of the 1870s and 1880s, we may be seeing the Populist party rising INSIDE the party this time, instead of outside... that said, something is going on, something very serious, that will have historians very amused in years to come

[mestup]

19. "We are seeing a repeat of the 1870s and 1880s"

Duh, I'd never thought of that before. Clever of you.

[nadinbrzezinski]

20. Have been saying that for the last several days

been accused of pushing for a third party and things like that, but the parallels are there.

(there are also parallels to 1929 and Nazi Germany but...)

think about it, you have a leadership in the DNC, a group of its own, the Third Way, going after corporate money... and the pugs are as well... my best example is blazing saddles, remember that image? the Governor? Not that far from the actual reality, even if comical... we have two party leaderships trying to please corporations...

Oh and the populists of the time were also called radicals and worst... so yes I can now see the parallels.

[mestup]

23. LOL - Blazing Saddles indeed!

But what an interesting concept. Makes me also wonder about the poor Repubs under attack by their rabid conservative members over the Miers nomination.

Gosh, imagine revolution in BOTH parties. A post-apocalyptic wash of humanity ready to get back to voting their economic interests!

[nadinbrzezinski]

25. It can happen

we need to start talking the populist message, people are ready for it, even if the leadership is not

Look at this point if we had Ron Paul and Neil Abercrombie (as far politically in theory as yuo can get, one is a libertarian the other one of the real progressives, can talk PNAC in special orders... there is hope)

But we need to start talking the populist mesage, it will resonate.

[mestup]

30. You're so right.

A refreshing viewpoint!

Talk "populist," and let the corps and pols figure out how to follow the voters for a change.

(Plus, it's fun to imagine Exxon worrying about a leveraged buyout of massive windmill farms, hoping in turn to funnel dollars to their candidates in return for even more favors.)

[TreasonousBastard]

46. I have no love lost for the DLC, but...

I do have some experience with DFA, and the ones I've met are, well, mostly assholes with absolutely no experience in running a campaign.

They sit around in planning meetings with big ideas, but you can't find a one of them who knows where to get yard sings or why GOTV is important, or what you have to do to get on a ballot. Or who has any contact with TPTB who actually make the decisions. Most of the better people move on to something that works.

Around here, Democrats are all machine politicians, with county leaders running the show and arranging pretty much everything, including handpicking most candidates-- even Congressional ones. They don't give a rat's ass about policy until they have to come up with some kind of platform around election time. What they DO do, though, is make sure the potholes are filled, the trash is collected, and the local petty criminals are rounded up.

That's what the people notice-- the potholes. John Lindsey was thrown out of office as Mayor of NYC and had his political future destroyed simply because one winter the Sanitation Dept. screwed up royally plowing the streets in one big snowstorm. Nobody cared whether he was a liberal or to the right of Attila-- he couldn't do the job he was paid for.

Now, I'm pretty much of a Socialist myself, and I would love to see a working Socialist government here, but the sad fact of the matter is that I don't run the show, and I have to work with what's around.

[nadinbrzezinski]

55. DFA I do hope is just learnign the ropes

but I had the same feeling... I faer the progressives have been sidelined to the point that we need to learn them pesky ropes...

And yes Joe does not care for policy, for policy does not affect him (he beleives), he cares for teh pot holes to be filled....

What can I say?

[loudsue]

58. That's bullshit!! "Family Values" to the poor, single-parent household

is a republican-made NIGHTMARE!! Something like 32% of "families" are SINGLE PARENT families, and they're getting more and more disenfranchised by the minute. The "families" (father, mother, kids), are pretty much taking care of one another. What the people NEED is a strong government, that makes rational, reality based decisions & that is what is lacking...not just for "families", but for ALL THE PEOPLE!! Regardless of their marital/familial status.

We don't need to be adopting right wing talking points to "win over" non-voters. We need to be adopting REALITY BASED government that deals with the lives of the people who make up our society...families, singles, and single parent families, and the EDUCATION and HEALTH and HOUSING of themselves and/OR their families.

As soon as the "non-voters" KNOW that their votes are going to be counted, and counted accurately, they'll do what they did in 2004... they'll show up in unprecedented numbers, to cast their votes for the most populist of the candidates. Millions of voters, from all across the country, were systematically disenfranchised during the 2004 election. And in the wee hours of the morning, Rove went into the back room, and 1 hour later, Kerry's 3-point lead was reversed, and suddenly it was booosh who had a 3-point lead. Do you think folks didn't notice??

:kick:

[nadinbrzezinski]

59. Yes yes they didb (eom)

[Gnostic]

13. Nominated

I feel; this issue is so important for the very future of any semblance of an alternative party left and even the future of this country that this thread has my vote.

[flying_wahini]

47. the dems are just giving the Repugs enough rope to hang themselves,

- it's what I keep telling myself,,,,,I keep thinking, NOW,
step up NOW,- like waiting for a trip wire to kick in,
or maybe one of those old lion traps in Tarzan; waiting for
the floor to fall in with the weight - but the dems, I fear
didn't count on the chimp jumping up and down on the trap-
you know???:bounce:

[Triana]

48. I quit being a Democrat in 2001

I'm registered Indy. I vote Dem still. Mostly because there IS no Progressive Party. If there was, that's where my vote'd go. At this point, they're slightly the lesser of two evils. While there are a few active, progressive Dems out there (God bless John Conyers) the rest of them are pretty useless, as you said.

When they just sat there, and allowed those EC votes to be counted in 2001 with nary a word (whilst the Congressional Black Caucus stood up to that crap), well, that just RIPPED it for me.

And again, they allowed Roberts and now Miers to be confirmed. Why do they bother going to work? What are we paying them for? To lie down and grease the path for Republicans to destroy this country? Because that's what they've done, essentially.

I DON'T THINK SO!

So, while I vote Dem (because there IS no Progressive Party and the Dems are NOT it), I haven't belonged to that party since 2001. I send $ to individual Dem candidates that I like and I sent $ to the DNC when Dean (I like Dean) became Chairman.

We NEED a REAL Progressive Party in this country. How can we form one? I have no idea what it takes to form a real, legitimate (ie: ON the ballot) party. And, then there's the issue that the Left vote would simply be split between Dems and the Progressives, leaving the reichwingnut crime rings as the winners.

And that would be a bad thing. What can we do?

[Steely_Dan]

51. Follow-Up

I can't believe that some feel that all we do is complain...

I was the original poster on this thread and I simply wanted to express my deep disappointment in my party. Apparently, it has touched a nerve.

The point of my original post is to say that...

I keep waiting and waiting and waiting for something to finally give on this administration. I remember right after Katrina, so many here were expressing the view that "this is it!" This will be the final blow to the Bush administration...there is no way they can survive this.

As it turns out, Katrina was just another unbelievable screw-up by the Bush administration that they seemingly recovered from. How can this happen. I mean, this pattern of disaster and recovery has been going on since day one...

When Bush made jokes about no WMD, I thought...no one will stand for this. He's outta here.
When Fahrenheit 911 was released and exposed the Bush lies and corruption, I thought...Great, now everyone else will see Bush for what he is...He's gone!
When no WMDs were found...and it was understood that Bush lied and people died, I thought...That's it! He is outta here!
When the Gitmo pics of torture and humiliation were shown, I thought, he's outta here.
When the Downing Street Memos revealed themselves, I thought, there ya go...he's definitely outta here.
When the Plame disaster was revealed, I thought...Okay, for sure, he's gone.
When it was shown that our troops were ill-equipped and being killed as a result...I thought, no president can survive this incredible error. He's outta here.
When Cindy began her protest and some momentum was established, I thought...finally, we will see the end of this administration...He's history.
So, when the Katrina disaster hit and he was off playing guitar and cutting cakes while poor Americans died, I thought...He can't survive this...He's gone.
I could go on and on and on (as we all could).

Now, more Gitmo pics are to be released, the Plame issue is going to get hot, DeLay has been exposed, Frist is in no better shape...etc, etc. And I'm supposed to be hopeful that this nightmare will end??? Not a chance. I'm outta here.

With all that has happened, we can no longer say that the electorate is "uneducated" to the real issues...they still voted for him. His re-election confirmed in the minds of our allies that we are all crazy over here. I will not live long enough to see repaired the damage that this administration has done.

The only thing that I can blame is the lack of balls by the Democrats to take advantage of this mess that the Right has put us in. Don't fool yourself...this is a war and those that represent out point(s) of view are not fighting a very good battle.

Can you imagine RFK putting up with this crap? Or how about Cuomo, Dean or MLK??? No, they would fight with everything they have. It appears that our party leaders are just waiting for the Right to self-destruct. Meanwhile, we continue down a road that we may not be able to return from.

Yes...I'm complaining. It is not only my right to complain as a part of the democratic process, it is my obligation as a good American.

Hell, many Republicans are just as pissed off at the Bush administration as we are...but even with their disgust we can make little or no headway.

For those who believe that there are some Dem leaders that are doing something about all this....All I can say is that it isn't enough and it isn't going to be in time to save what little freedom and dignity that we have remaining.

There was a time when I was much younger that I looked at our leaders with admiration. I thought of them as the best and brightest among us. It took this administration for me to understand that these people (most all of them) are no more capable inspired leadership than I am. They are not super-human...they are not a cut above us, they are not necessarily the brightest and best that we can offer.

There is a vacuum of leadership in our party...As bad as the Bush administration is, we seem not to have an inspired message to offer those who have had enough.

-Paige

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I leave you with this from JFK...September 14th, 1960:

What do our opponents mean when they apply to us the label "Liberal?" If by "Liberal" they mean, as they want people to believe, someone who is soft in his policies abroad, who is against local government, and who is unconcerned with the taxpayer's dollar, then the record of this party and its members demonstrate that we are not that kind of "Liberal." But if by a "Liberal" they mean someone who looks ahead and not behind, someone who welcomes new ideas without rigid reactions, someone who cares about the welfare of the people -- their health, their housing, their schools, their jobs, their civil rights, and their civil liberties -- someone who believes we can break through the stalemate and suspicions that grip us in our policies abroad, if that is what they mean by a "Liberal," then I'm proud to say I'm a "Liberal."

[Gnostic]

61. Absolutely....

.....AWESOME post!

Sorry it took me so long to say that, been away working. Just returned and saw this post and said WOW....exactly the way I've been feeling and thinking for some time, though you summed iut up better than I could.

[lateo]

60. Call me Deacon Blue!

I agree with you fellow disgruntled Democrat.