Dead Men and Women Walking

Dead Men and Women Walking

By Dave Lindorff

Created Oct 24 2007 - 8:47am

The Democratic Party in Congress, and indeed the leading candidates for the

party's presidential nomination, are all dead men and women walking.

They look alive. They may even think they're alive. But their political

futures are close to moribund.

Faced with grave moral issues--a criminal and unpopular war that is costing

the country the lives of thousands of its young people, and hundreds of

billions of dollars a year, a president who treats the Constitution like so

much toiletpaper, and an economy that is being hollowed out like a Halloween

pumpkin, these Democrats are doing nothing.

Repeatedly offered chances to stand up and act, they have ducked each time

instead. Twice already, President Bush, himself backed by only one in four

Americans today (a lower level of public support than even Nixon had after

his resignation in disgrace following the impeachment vote against him by

the House Judiciary Committee) has come to Congress requesting another more

than $100 billion in funding for his war in Iraq, and Congress has rolled

over and given it to him.

Bush has responded to the resignation in disgrace of his lying, cheating

attorney general, former White House lawyer Alberto Gonzales, by nominating

a man, former Federal District Judge Michael Mukasey, who refuses to condemn

torture and who insists that the president is not bound by the Constitution

or the law. Congressional Democrats could, and should, refuse such an

outrageous sycophant to power for the nation's top law enforcement office,

but instead, they look like they plan to okay him for the job.

Over the summer, the President asked for legislation retroactively

sanctioning his illegal National Security Agency wiretapping program, which

has enlisted the help of the nation's telecom firms to help them spy on you

and me and hundreds of thousands- perhaps millions--of Americans. Congress

could have said no and won the respect and gratitude of Americans across the

political spectrum, who are alarmed at the dramatic erosion of American

liberty that has occurred in seven years of Bush/Cheney administration

Constitution trampling. Instead, they gave Bush what he wanted--a

"temporary" bill that endorsed the secret, warrantless spying, and even gave

retroactive sanction. Now the Democratic Congress is on the verge of making

that sanction permanent, while extending immunity from civil litigation to

the phone companies that have been going along with the spying.

In all this, the Democratic Party leadership and its minions in House and

Senate have not been cowards. Rather, they have apparently decided that they

can gain power in November 2008 not by playing the part of feisty and

principled opposition, but by playing dead for two years. The idea appears

to be to pass no controversial legislation, indeed to do nothing of

consequence, and to leave the massively unpopular Bush in power, while

allowing his massively unpopular Iraq War continue along its bloody way.

They will complain about the constitutional violations, and complain about

the war, but when presented with golden opportunities to act, and to bring

an end to those crimes, they have done nothing, and will continue to do

nothing.

The American public is seeing through this Machiavellian strategy, however,

which is why the Congress is now supported by only 11 percent--a figure that

is less than half Bush's anemic favorable rating, and only within the margin

of error of Cheney's 9 percent support base.

The joke is that in the end, this strategy, if it can be called that, may

end up backfiring.

Americans traditionally have a pretty low opinion of politicians. They may

not be very good at spotting hucksters, but when they do feel that they are

being played, they are quick to punish.

I think the public has caught on to what the Democrats are doing, and may

well decide next November that they'd rather go with Republicans who, while

crazy and bad with checkbooks, are at least willing to act on their wacky

beliefs, than with Democrats, who just cynically sit back and watch, hoping

to win by default.

_______

About author Dave Lindorff is the author of Killing Time: an Investigation

into the Death Row Case of Mumia Abu-Jamal [1]. His new book of columns

titled "This Can't be Happening! [2]" is published by Common Courage Press.

Lindorff's new book is "The Case for Impeachment [3]," co-authored by

Barbara Olshansky. He can be reached at: dlindorff@yahoo.com [4]

--

NOTICE: This post contains copyrighted material the use of which has not

always been authorized by the copyright owner. I am making such material

available to advance understanding of

political, human rights, democracy, scientific, and social justice issues. I

believe this constitutes a 'fair use' of such copyrighted material as

provided for in section 107 of the US Copyright

Law. In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107

"A little patience and we shall see the reign of witches pass over, their

spells dissolve, and the people recovering their true sight, restore their

government to its true principles. It is true that in the meantime we are

suffering deeply in spirit,

and incurring the horrors of a war and long oppressions of enormous public

debt. But if the game runs sometimes against us at home we must have

patience till luck turns, and then we shall have an opportunity of winning

back the principles we have lost, for this is a game where principles are at

stake."

-Thomas Jefferson

On Thu, 25 Oct 2007 09:54:01 -0700, "Gandalf Grey"

<gandalfgrey@infectedmail.com> wrote:

>Dead Men and Women Walking

>

>By Dave Lindorff

>Created Oct 24 2007 - 8:47am

>

>The Democratic Party in Congress, and indeed the leading candidates for the

>party's presidential nomination, are all dead men and women walking.

>

>They look alive. They may even think they're alive. But their political

>futures are close to moribund.

>

>Faced with grave moral issues--a criminal and unpopular war that is costing

>the country the lives of thousands of its young people, and hundreds of

>billions of dollars a year, a president who treats the Constitution like so

>much toiletpaper, and an economy that is being hollowed out like a Halloween

>pumpkin, these Democrats are doing nothing.

>

>Repeatedly offered chances to stand up and act, they have ducked each time

>instead.

The Dems won't do anything to fix the administrations

mistakes and excesses - and neither will the Republicans

OR any of the Republican candidates (except maybe Ron

Paul, but he wouldn't get any help from either party).

As for the Dems ... I think that they're secretly drooling

over that shredded constitution, envisioning all the ways

they can use the existing palette of extraordinary powers

to wreak revenge on the GOP and GOP interests plus hammer

through some of their favored social-engineering ideas.

The "Patriot act" and related surveillance-state legislation

could be even more dangerous in DNC hands than in the GOPs

hands (to date). At least the GOP sees foreign devils

everywhere and tends to abuse its power persecuting them.

The enemies the Dems see ... not foreigners, but ye and me

and the guy next door too.

In short, the entire slate of '08 presidental candidates

is LAME. It's like we've run out of real leader types

and have to play the 2nd-stringers.

I'm still concerned that by convention-time, the most

noted 2nd-stringer, AlGore, will be drafted ... as

everyone realizes just HOW bad the other hopefuls are.

Al could win - not because he's "better", just because

he's "more famous" these days. He was an acceptable VP,

but not the guy I'd want behind the Big Desk where all

the bucks come to die.

In a contest of lame-o's the "most famous" one is the

likely winner. We may get a DNC White House for no

better reason than that.

Yea, yea Gandy ... I'm sure YOU think Al is a demigod ...

but he's not. Just another 2nd-string politician and all

that description implies. As I see it, no matter WHAT

the outcome of the '08 contest we're all screwed.

And for '12 ... the 3rd-stringers, likely ...

'16 ? Dunno. Maybe we'll be part of the Chinese Empire

by then ...

On Oct 25, 4:52 pm, b...@barrk.net (B1ackwater) wrote:

> On Thu, 25 Oct 2007 09:54:01 -0700, "Gandalf Grey"

>

>

>

>

>

> <gandalfg...@infectedmail.com> wrote:

> >Dead Men and Women Walking

>

> >By Dave Lindorff

> >Created Oct 24 2007 - 8:47am

>

> >The Democratic Party in Congress, and indeed the leading candidates for the

> >party's presidential nomination, are all dead men and women walking.

>

> >They look alive. They may even think they're alive. But their political

> >futures are close to moribund.

>

> >Faced with grave moral issues--a criminal and unpopular war that is costing

> >the country the lives of thousands of its young people, and hundreds of

> >billions of dollars a year, a president who treats the Constitution like so

> >much toiletpaper, and an economy that is being hollowed out like a Halloween

> >pumpkin, these Democrats are doing nothing.

>

> >Repeatedly offered chances to stand up and act, they have ducked each time

> >instead.

>

> The Dems won't do anything to fix the administrations

> mistakes and excesses - and neither will the Republicans

> OR any of the Republican candidates (except maybe Ron

> Paul, but he wouldn't get any help from either party).

>

> As for the Dems ... I think that they're secretly drooling

> over that shredded constitution, envisioning all the ways

> they can use the existing palette of extraordinary powers

> to wreak revenge on the GOP and GOP interests plus hammer

> through some of their favored social-engineering ideas.

>

> The "Patriot act" and related surveillance-state legislation

> could be even more dangerous in DNC hands than in the GOPs

> hands (to date). At least the GOP sees foreign devils

> everywhere and tends to abuse its power persecuting them.

> The enemies the Dems see ... not foreigners, but ye and me

> and the guy next door too.

>

> In short, the entire slate of '08 presidental candidates

> is LAME. It's like we've run out of real leader types

> and have to play the 2nd-stringers.

>

> I'm still concerned that by convention-time, the most

> noted 2nd-stringer, AlGore, will be drafted ... as

> everyone realizes just HOW bad the other hopefuls are.

> Al could win - not because he's "better", just because

> he's "more famous" these days. He was an acceptable VP,

> but not the guy I'd want behind the Big Desk where all

> the bucks come to die.

>

> In a contest of lame-o's the "most famous" one is the

> likely winner. We may get a DNC White House for no

> better reason than that.

>

> Yea, yea Gandy ... I'm sure YOU think Al is a demigod ...

> but he's not. Just another 2nd-string politician and all

> that description implies. As I see it, no matter WHAT

> the outcome of the '08 contest we're all screwed.

>

> And for '12 ... the 3rd-stringers, likely ...

>

> '16 ? Dunno. Maybe we'll be part of the Chinese Empire

> by then ...

Gore's 2000 campaign may not have reacted well to the media turning

against him, but still, does that make him a second stringer? Outline

why you think he's a "second stringer", I'm honestly curious.

On Oct 25, 5:01 pm, zo...@yahoo.com wrote:

> On Oct 25, 4:52 pm, b...@barrk.net (B1ackwater) wrote:

>

>

>

>

>

> > On Thu, 25 Oct 2007 09:54:01 -0700, "Gandalf Grey"

>

> > <gandalfg...@infectedmail.com> wrote:

> > >Dead Men and Women Walking

>

> > >By Dave Lindorff

> > >Created Oct 24 2007 - 8:47am

>

> > >The Democratic Party in Congress, and indeed the leading candidates for the

> > >party's presidential nomination, are all dead men and women walking.

>

> > >They look alive. They may even think they're alive. But their political

> > >futures are close to moribund.

>

> > >Faced with grave moral issues--a criminal and unpopular war that is costing

> > >the country the lives of thousands of its young people, and hundreds of

> > >billions of dollars a year, a president who treats the Constitution like so

> > >much toiletpaper, and an economy that is being hollowed out like a Halloween

> > >pumpkin, these Democrats are doing nothing.

>

> > >Repeatedly offered chances to stand up and act, they have ducked each time

> > >instead.

>

> > The Dems won't do anything to fix the administrations

> > mistakes and excesses - and neither will the Republicans

> > OR any of the Republican candidates (except maybe Ron

> > Paul, but he wouldn't get any help from either party).

>

> > As for the Dems ... I think that they're secretly drooling

> > over that shredded constitution, envisioning all the ways

> > they can use the existing palette of extraordinary powers

> > to wreak revenge on the GOP and GOP interests plus hammer

> > through some of their favored social-engineering ideas.

>

> > The "Patriot act" and related surveillance-state legislation

> > could be even more dangerous in DNC hands than in the GOPs

> > hands (to date). At least the GOP sees foreign devils

> > everywhere and tends to abuse its power persecuting them.

> > The enemies the Dems see ... not foreigners, but ye and me

> > and the guy next door too.

>

> > In short, the entire slate of '08 presidental candidates

> > is LAME. It's like we've run out of real leader types

> > and have to play the 2nd-stringers.

>

> > I'm still concerned that by convention-time, the most

> > noted 2nd-stringer, AlGore, will be drafted ... as

> > everyone realizes just HOW bad the other hopefuls are.

> > Al could win - not because he's "better", just because

> > he's "more famous" these days. He was an acceptable VP,

> > but not the guy I'd want behind the Big Desk where all

> > the bucks come to die.

>

> > In a contest of lame-o's the "most famous" one is the

> > likely winner. We may get a DNC White House for no

> > better reason than that.

>

> > Yea, yea Gandy ... I'm sure YOU think Al is a demigod ...

> > but he's not. Just another 2nd-string politician and all

> > that description implies. As I see it, no matter WHAT

> > the outcome of the '08 contest we're all screwed.

>

> > And for '12 ... the 3rd-stringers, likely ...

>

> > '16 ? Dunno. Maybe we'll be part of the Chinese Empire

> > by then ...

>

> Gore's 2000 campaign may not have reacted well to the media turning

> against him, but still, does that make him a second stringer? Outline

> why you think he's a "second stringer", I'm honestly curious.

Still curious about the "Problem with Gore".

Anyone care to step up?

Let's skip the B.S. about inventing the internet, Love Story, Love

Canal, earth tones, sighing reels, etc. etc. those are media

inventions.

What's wrong with Gore, in reference to his work as a politician /

policymaker / bill author / leader.

Is he too ~boring~? Oh dear. Too ~professorlike~? Perhaps he's just

too ~awkward~? Let's cut to the chase. Is it because he's too

~smart~?