No, you're right, the dozens of insurgent Democratic primary campaigns, hundreds of new campaign staffers with an election or two now under their belts, thousands of new campaign volunteers, and hundreds of thousands of dollars raised to unseat conservative Democrats, contest elections against right-wing incumbents, and and stall or reverse reactionary legislation have all totally failed in the past year.

Due to a lack of boots on the ground.

-- Amity

Amity. Listen to yourself! Those insurgent Dem primaries? Those Act Blue candidates that got elected? How many of them voted the correct way today? Please listen to yourself. Please. You are obviously a very intelligent person but you are not thinking rationally right now. What have the thousands of campaign volunteers succeeded in doing? Electing people who voted for the telecom amnesty bill today. I mean what part of that do you not understand? I am really not trying to be an ass here but I cannot see how you can continue to call "more and better democrats" progress. That is demonstrably wrong assertion and to continue to urge others to keep doing the same things...well, it is just insanity!

Think about it. Please. I now you are pissed. So am I, believe me. I am not saying we should not fight. I am just saying that the way in which we are fighting is losing us the war. Let's consider changing or adding to our tactics.

I rushed my last two posts because I was being badgered to get ready for a dinner date so perhaps I was not as clear as I could have been. Let me try and add a bit more and see if it helps.

No, you're right, the dozens of insurgent Democratic primary campaigns, hundreds of new campaign staffers with an election or two now under their belts, thousands of new campaign volunteers, and hundreds of thousands of dollars raised to unseat conservative Democrats, contest elections against right-wing incumbents, and and stall or reverse reactionary legislation have all totally failed in the past year.

Due to a lack of boots on the ground.

-- Amity

Those insurgent Dem primaries? Those Act Blue candidates that got elected? How many of them voted the correct way today? What have the thousands of campaign volunteers succeeded in doing? Electing people who voted for the telecom amnesty bill today. Those hundreds of campaign staffers, thousands of volunteers and all the money that was raised were not "boots on the ground" for our cause. That is the point entirely. They were boots on the ground for what amounts to the enemy. Those volunteers inadvertently aided the enemy. Now that they can see what has happened, should they then go back and volunteer to be screwed again? It is the same with voters. Should they vote to be screwed again? All the gnashing of teeth, heartbreak, and cognitive dissonance we have seen these past few days... what we are seeing now is a direct result of people suffering as a result of trying to work within this gamed system in an attempt to bring about change.

I am not saying we should not fight nor am I saying we should not vote for who we think is best. I am just saying that the way in which we are fighting is losing us the war. Boots on the ground for us would be any anti-establishment direct action campaign. That is the infantry. That is what takes and holds the ground. That is the only thing that will win the war in the end. The money raising, the ad campaigns, the stern letter writing and, believe it or not, even the voting are all supportive actions and will not win the war by themselves. Again, think big picture here. Think long term. Where does doing the court jester's "one step forward and two steps back" dance get us in the long term?

Please, no jokes. I've pretty much lost all hope for the future of this country right now, and I'm just not in the mood for levity. -- Peter Maranci

Check out Kucinich. You'd have to write him in but it would be a vote for a principled man.

http://kucinich.us/

My understanding is that telecom lobbyists were directly involved in the "negotiations" over this bill.

Is this (a) correct; and (b) usual? -- The Reality Kid

a) no (but it is the way it is done)

b) yes

For instance... Big Oil wrote our energy policy a few years ago and presented it to Cheney in closed door meetings that the public was denied access to. America is a country of the corporations, by the corporations and for the corporations. Corporations and moneyed interests control the system now which is why the more and better democrats plan amounts to a delusional fantasy. But that won't stop the majority of the netroots from digging their own grave deeper while all the while screaming "harder, we must dig harder!"

Yep, that's just what I would do. I'm sure Glenn would too, were he running for Prez. -- grubert

Perhaps it shouldn't surprise me anymore but it still amazes me how devoid of principle most of my countrymen are. We really are a country of people who believe that the ends justify the means. It is no wonder we have leaders who act in the ways that they do.

Carlin is right....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0u6lCBnRoHQ

Here is an even better one somebody put together....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fH21S_FRtNo&feature=related