Richard A. Clarke: Watching The Change

[Tandalayo_Scheisskopf]

When the Congressional campaign began this year, I thought that real change was a long shot. This afternoon, after a long national campaign, real change came to my neighborhood. The last Senate race was resolved today and our newest Senator, Jim Webb, came to the county (Arlington) that gave him 76 percent of a big voter turnout.

Speaking at a plaza two blocks from my apartment, Webb declared victory by holding two combat boots over his head. They had been worn by his son in Iraq. He then began by pointing out that tomorrow is Veterans Day, and asking for a round of applause for our troops and our veterans. He then promised to act to bring our troops home from Iraq.

NY Senator Chuck Schumer asked the crowd, "What color is my tie (blue!) What color is my suit (blue!) And what color is the United States Senate? Blue!" The crowd cheered and then filtered out after the late afternoon rally, carrying WEBB signs into the neighborhood and the subway.

And when I got back to my apartment, I looked out and saw the great white rotunda of the US Capitol. Its lights had just been illuminated and the dome glowed bright against an orange sky. I felt that our democracy was still alive. I looked over at the Pentagon, where Donald Rumsfeld is cleaning out his office. And I began to have hope again.

http://www.goodharborreport.com/node/693

Richard A. Clarke wrote this. Richard Friggin' A. Friggin' Clarke.

We weren't weirdos for feeling the way we have felt for the last six years, people. Even Richard Goddamn Clarke felt like us.

We just had the guts, and perhaps the idiocy, to be the ones saying it publicly and loudly every chance we had.

We weren't the ones betraying the country. No matter what the bastards said.

[Swamp Rat]

1. DAMN STRAIGHT!

:kick:

[fooj]

2. We found our way to the light...

:patriot:

[autorank]

3. KR...You're right. We're clearly mainstream, in the majority...

...we just arrived a bit early, but not too much. The majority of Americans got fed up very quickly with little corproate media infleunce. That's a great passage. Thank you.

Mike

[dweller]

4. K frikking R!

get this to the front page guy and gals.

short, to the point, and sums up the week for me, hopefully you too.

'I began to have hope again' ...

thanks TS for this find!
dp

[Tinksrival]

5. Holy Cow!

Thanks for reminding me about Clarke's web sight. I completely forgot I had it bookmarked.
Love that quote!

[fujiyama]

6. That thing about hope is funny

because my friend said the EXACT same thing during dinner tonight.

We were talking about how incredible this was and he mentioned how he had this weird feeling he had not had with regards to the state of the nation in a long time - he said, at first he wasn't even sure what it was. And then he said it was HOPE. Hope, that things in our lifetime can actually improve rather than simply get worse. Exactly like that.

Incredible commentary by Clarke. This has restored a considerable amount of faith in the American public.

[Dem2theMax]

7. OK, # 5 was me. Now get this to the front page. :-)

Nice hearing that from Clarke. Nice knowing he felt exactly the same way the rest of us did.

And do now - hope. :)

[upi402]

8. k/r

That says it all for me.

[BigBearJohn]

9. Pretty much sums up how I felt. Thanks for posting! K/R!

[leveymg]

10. We're the new Democratic Establishment

I hesitate to describe us that way. But, when you think about it, what seems radical at the beginning of a movement is old-hat when the next begins.

Just the way it's always been in politics. ;-)

[tavalon]

11. What you said at the end is why I have clung to DU these last few years

Yeah, it isn't like this is the whole world but at least I wasn't alone.

[lapfog_1]

12. I hope that someday, when all of 9/11 has been revealed,

or as much as we will ever be allowed to know, I hope that there will be a future Democratic administration (maybe in just TWO years!!!) and that the new President will have the grace to nominate Richard Clarke for a Congressional Medal of Freedom.

He is STILL the only person in our government to personally take responsibility for the failure to prevent 9/11 and he apologized to the families in person.

He is one of the very few people, that if I should meet him, I would salute.

[Lugnut]

18. I couldn't agree more

If anybody deserves a medal it's Richard Clarke.

[mom cat]

13. Three cheers for our loney tin foil nutcake conspiricy thinking!

[Justice]

14. Perfectly said

[drm604]

15. Why is it so surprising that Clarke feels this way?

He's been a critic of this administration for quite a while now.

[Dinger]

16. Excellent.

Has he been on ABC since that slimy PT9-11 movie was on? They don't deserve him. He should run for office.

[MiniMe]

17. I think Clarke was nonpartisan, until *

I think he truly hates this administration

[Blue_Roses]

19. Richard Clarke is awesome!

He dared to speak out at a time when the water was still cold. I have much respect for him!

[Joe Chi Minh]

21. I agree. I think his contribution to expediting the saving, the

deliverance of your nation would have been extraordinary. Massive.

[texpatriot2004]

20. Thanks for this excellent post nm