- Top Features:
- War Room
- Glenn Greenwald
- Broadsheet
- Joan Walsh
- Camille Paglia
- Since You Asked
- Follow Salon:
Read other letters about this article
Where were the calls for bi-partisanship while the Republicans were selling the government to the highest bidders? When the Republican leadership chortled about freezing out their Democratic colleagues? When Republican were turning the Justice Department into an arm of their re-election apparatus?
These people don't want bi-partisanship. They want to validate the excesses and crimes of the Bush administration. Whether from a desire to end the acrimony that began with Kenneth Starr's witch-hunt or to continue the excesses and crimes, they are wrong.
Certainly, the nation has become more divided since the Republican hysterics tried to paint Bill Clinton as anything from a draft dodging traitor to a murderer. But that can't be laid at the feet of Democratic partisanhip. That was pure Republican venom.
The suggestion that Democrats are either responible for the divisivemess or complicit in it because of their reactions to Bush's unprecedented incompetence and criminality is ridiculous. Democrats have been, as has been noted here and elsewhere, overly accomodating in addressing the acts that would have resulted in the successful impeachment of a Democratic president.
And the premise that the Democratic presidential candidates are not addressing the real issues facing the nation is absurd. While the Republican field, and their lapdog pundits, are trying to scapegoat immigrants for the economic difficulties that are facing middle class America, the Democrats are rightfully citing the tax andspending policies of the Republican controlled government.
While the Republicans are trying to prove their toughness by threatening to continue policies of torture and unprovoked invaion., the Democrats are talking about restoring America's honor.
While America cries out for Universal Health Care, Republicans talk about protecting insurers and the value of choice for those who have none.
If Bloomberg and company want to see a less divided nation they should support the Democrats and insist on changes. Otherwise, they only ensure that the nation will continue to slide into the type of state that so many Americans died fighting against. A nation that spies on its own, tortures and holds political prisoners without charge.
