Need motivation not to become complacent? Read this -- Safire.

[quiet.american]

So, according to William Safire, writing in the NYT, Republicans should plan to give Democrats two or three months to straighten out six years of some of the worst debacles ever created in this nation by the worst president and worst GOP-controlled Congress, before denouncing them as the "do-nothing 110th Congress," and parting the waves to allow the likes of Rudy Giuliani and John McCain to stride in and re-institute the dashed plans for 100 years of one-party rule.

I, for one, believe the current Dem leadership is smart enough to keep Safire's musings as nothing more than a pipe dream. But if I ever needed any motivation to remain involved in what's going on, this would be it.

Last paragraphs from Safire's "vision":

Committee chairmen like Charles Rangel of Ways and Means, John Dingell of Energy and Commerce, Barney Frank of Financial Services and others will crowd the airwaves with hearings grilling contractors and torturing accused torturers.

After a few months of this posturing, a newly emboldened Bush, emulating F.D.R.’s derision of the isolationists “Martin, Barton and Fish,” will be moved to denounce “Rangel, Dingell and Frank.” This will be the signal for new Republican leaders, like Mike Pence of Indiana, to take up the tactic of Harry Truman by denouncing “the do-nothing 110th Congress.” At the same time, as the 2008 primaries loom, the Trumanesque Bush will measure his reduction of troops in Iraq by the ability of the Iraqis to take over their own defense.

That’s when the new Democratic majority will suffer great stress. Senator Hillary Clinton evoked “the vital, dynamic center” in her victory speech, and Representative Rahm Emanuel was the model of non-hubristic responsibility during the delighted Democratic deluge. But it’s hard to imagine Nancy Pelosi, Howard Dean, Kerry-Gore-Edwards campaigners and the whole loser left holding still into the snows of New Hampshire.

Into that incipient split of the new Congressional majority will march John McCain, Rudy Giuliani, Mitt Romney and the other conservative, internationalist hopes. So cheer up, my fellow right-wingers, especially those of you who have grown too accustomed to winning every election night. Sometimes we have to suffer a loud, corrective slap before readying the political counterpunch.

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/11/09/opinion/09safire.html?_r=1&hp&oref=slogin

[Greeby]

1. Fat chance Safire

We plan to make sure this Congress does plenty :)

[acmavm]

2. Safire is a known liar and idiot. I don't even consider him a

jounalist. His columns are the written equivalent to a two year old's scribblings.

[pscot]

3. Safire only has 3 brain cells left

And he can't get even those to fire in unison.

[Atman]

4. Okay, I'm gonna say it...here I go...

Time out from the gloating. I haven't been posting that much since Big Tuesday delivered the Blue Crush, I've just been sitting back in amazement, somehow not yet convinced that this isn't all a dream. But here goes: After all our bitching and the last minute exposés of the black boxes, the sudden questioning of all things related to e-voting, people on this message board and a dozen others calling for nothing less than revolution if the GOP made another miraculous "comeback." But a funny thing happened...we WON. We had observers everywhere, cameras, note-takers, Jimmy Carter...and damned if the election didn't go off without a hitch!

No two week delays to count. No massive '04-esque vote flipping going on. Since there is no way to check, I'll take their word on it. Why not, right? We fuckin' skated in, with just enough drama to keep us glued to the television for a few dozen extra commercials.

But as far as the voting machines, nothing catastrophic happened, at least not if you were a democrat. Oh, sure, there were "glitches" and tons of calls to the voter hotlines, but y'know...we fuckin' won! Of course, other factors have to be considered, like the sheer size of the anti-Bush vote. Maybe it really was just insurmountable for them. But where are all the posters who've said the entire process is rigged from the get-go anyway? A corporate charade run from the offices of the DLC and the RNC. Still feel that way? Did the people behind the people -- apparently Poppy's boys bailing out junior one more time, if the current news stories are to be believed -- finally get fed up with the little emperor, the son of privilege on a legacy admission who grew to believe he'd actually earned his seat behind the very desk the great Bill Clinton leaned on whilst getting his knob polished in a consensual heterosexual relationship with an adult? Oh, sorry, wasn't going to go there...

Point being, if you believe "they" just fed us Bill's impeachment, and then "they" fed us W's Ascendancy, wouldn't it stand to reason we're being spoon-fed again? Tweety's 'dog caught the parked car' metaphor is apt. We just caught that which we've been chasing for the past six years -- and then some -- and now we have to deal with it. "They" have given us two years. Every talking head is already asking why Nancy hasn't revealed her plan end the war yet. Wait 'till the first tax increase gets proposed!

When 2008 comes, and the BFEE is twisting the knife into McCain's back once again, measuring for Jebbie's new drapes, we won't have a credible leg to stand on to start screaming "ELECTION FRAUD! THE MACHINE'S ARE RIGGED!" Just sayin. This is pure :tinfoilhat: but tinfoil shouldn't be reserved just for when we're losing, right? ;)

.

[ellenfl]

6. there are still plenty of evoting glitches, including here in florida and in ohio.

i believed before the election that the only way we would win was if the win was overwhelming. perhaps there was no fraud this time with the machines but there was still plenty of voter intimidation and outright lying to keep dems away from the polls . . . not to mention the evil contained in the campaign ads. maybe the machine fraud was not possible because there were so many observers this time. whatever happened or didn't, i think the first order of business should be to fix the machines and fix the media non-diversity.

i think our leaders can see what happens when they don't pay attention to the right. i hope they will not so underestimate the right again, but WE, THE PEOPLE, HAVE TO STAY INVOLVED. just like andy and bev and bob and bobby and all the rest did after the 2004 election.

we did not work this hard to hand over government to the party of our choice and then go back to watching 'american idol'. we have seen what we can and must do. let's make sure that the dems we helped put back in power know the correct (almost said 'right') path. make them keep their promises. the fundies couldn't do it with the republicans because their path was too restrictive. our tide can raise all boats.

ellen fl

[Arugula Latte]

5. How old is Safire? Isn't it about time for him to go away forever?

:shrug: