Democrats Sleepwalking in Washington
Now that the month of decision about Iraq has come and gone in a Petraeus-MoveOn cloud of dust, the United States government has started October in a worse stupor than ever.
Democrats who took over Congress in a fever to stop the old war and expose Bush-Cheney lawlessness have just opened the door to a new war and, after months of bloviating about Administration scandals, have only the sorry scalp of Alberto Gonzales to show for their efforts.
The Presidential front runners are still wagging fingers at George Bush without promising to be out of Iraq by 2013 while the frontmost runner of all, the new, improved Hillary Clinton of 2007, casts a vote for Kyl/Lieberman aggression against Iran that looks very much like the one for invading Iraq in 2002.
Only a party elder and a Senate newcomer are awake enough to sound an alarm. As Mario Cuomo reminds Congress of its Constitutional power and responsibility, freshman Senator Jim Webb speaks up about last week’s move against Iran:
“This proposal is Dick Cheney’s fondest pipe dream. It’s not a prescription for success. At best, it’s a deliberate attempt to divert attention from a failed diplomatic policy. At worst, it could be read as a back door method of gaining Congressional validation for action without one hearing or without serious debate.â€
Whatever Bush and Cheney have put into the Washington water supply, it has most Democrats pushing the snooze button on their 2008 alarm clocks. They may wake up with the worst political hangover ever.
Cross-posted from my blog.
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4 Responses to “Democrats Sleepwalking in Washington”
The votes by Democrats on the Leberman/Kyl Amendment acted like a splash of cold water in my face.
Webb seems to be one of the few aboard who is awake and doing what’s right instead of psturing.
The Democrats should be forcing the Republicans to make actual stay-up-all-night filibusters.
Well, the GOP seems intent on running this country into the ground. The Democrats for their part aren’t smart or strong enough to do whats right. At the heart of it all lies special interests and a political machine that caters to shaping our votes into how things appear rather than how they actually are.
We seem with every election cycle to move farther away from the real world, where our leaders seem unable to manage the nation or get elected based on competence. I’m hoping the real political backlash coming isn’t one of GOP vs. Democrats, but one of ability vs. flash, reality vs. wishful thinking and empty promises.
If the Dems go too far left, they risk (and deserve) a backlash.
Maybe that’s why, despite their continued attacks on Bush, they’re not trying anything outrageous. They even are not going to impose a war tax, it appears.