Letters to the Editor
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Defense of Third Party - or Withholding
First, Nader didn't lose it for Gore, the 50 million people who voted for Bush are to blame. Don't be such a coward that you can't take them on.
Second, it's getting too late, ecologically, economically, and sociologically to just vote for the Democrat and wait for the party to find religion, give up the corporate cash and opt for peace over militarism. Anyone who truly believes that it's better for the future to tolerate the current party, instead of making the necessary tough changes right away, is not paying attention. There is absolutely zero leadership among the Democratic "leadership." This nation is going to hell and taking the planet with it -- that's no overstatement.
I support the idea of holding your vote -- as long as you do it very vocally -- be specific about why you are not voting for a candidate. In conjunction, I support voting for candidates that can't win at all levels of government. They'll start winning at the bottom sooner than you think.
If you are a senator, getting good corporate cash, can count on the liberal vote and are destined to have a high-paid lobbying gig when you get out, why would you change? So long as we liberals throw big parties cheering for the people who screw the regular folks over time after time, they will never change.
Watch as they go along with tax cuts (even Obama won't commit to rolling back Bush's tax cuts once elected). Watch as they go along with fear-mongering on Iran, Islamofascism, and every other bit of bullshit that makes for a self-fulfilling prophecy. Watch as they go along with tax cuts for businesses to do the right thing, with no checks or enforcement ("Here's a million in tax cuts to do X -- if you don't want to do it, I won't care, as long as you contribute to my campaign -- I'll still be able to say I helped bring about X in the commercials you pay for.")
This is not cynicism - it is fact. And the sad truth is that the Democrats are so far gone that we have to walk away from them before either they heal, or another party gets big enough to start winning. If that means another GOP administration, so be it. But it will take a lot longer to get on the right path if we have eight years of a right-wing Hillary (with no rebuilding on the left), followed by eight years of some Republican shithead.
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I wish someone would explain to Biden that his tripartite Iraq plan -- REGARDLESS OF "HISTORY" -- looks far too much like "destroying Iraq in order to save it" ....
it is a NONVIABLE non-alternative that merely complicates the "discussion."
I have listened to him, I appreciate his point of view and "history" but Iraq is NOT Yugoslavia or post-war Berlin or Japan and nobody has enough troops to set up such a partitioning, not to mention enforce such a thing ...
How clueless does one need to be .... don't words like "security wall" and "aparteid" spring quickly to mind?
I know he means well, but it's a fucking nonstarter ... it will merely codify and harden the various regional/sectarian factions.
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The Lieberman rumor?
I heard echoed on the airwaves yesterday the notion that Joe Lieberman was threatening to actually join the Republican party if this vote didn't go through. Which would have flipped control of the Senate back, and thus shut down all of the investigations into the Bush Administration, and just about anything else we need the Dems to do.
If that's true, then maybe, in the long run, perhaps it was worth it to pass this bill? In a sense, the troops that will remain in Iraq under the new funding will actually be there for a purpose: to preserve the Dem's efforts to restore the constitution.
Too much of a stretch?
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A better idea, I think
Is for the right wing to split and form their own third party. Let the Republicans take the hit.
Whether or not Nader "lost it" for Gore isn't the point. MY point, was that Nader drew an insignificant percentage of the vote to make a statement. Take Perot in 1992. That was closer to a real statement, but over 30% I think would really open some eyes. But 2% is just a group of wasted votes, and nothing more.
Real "progressive" change will come from election reform (I'm not hodling my breath) and real liberals getting involved in the Democratic Party and changing it from within, instead of typing complaints on a computer.
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degrading...
Not a single one of them is worth electing. I take back the very few nice things I've said lately about Biden.
Calculating swine, the lot.
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May 25: Sen Biden Introduces Bill "Which Could End This War & Get Our Troops Home"
"Change The Mission"
May 25: As he announced on "Hardball" earlier this week, Democratic presidential candidate and U.S. Senator Joseph R. Biden, Jr. (D-DE) today introduced legislation to "change the mission": SJ Res 15 would repeal the original 2002 Iraq war authorization, replacing it with a much narrower mission statement to start immediately for our troops in Iraq.
The new mission would be limited to combating terrorists, training Iraqis and force protection for our troops, curtailing any troop involvement in daily warfare and Iraqi sectarian violence.
Sen. Biden's bill requires the President to withdraw troops in four months. The timeline requires all unnecessary troops out of Iraq by March 2008.
In addition, the legislation specifically does not allow the President to launch an attack on Iran or Syria.
"Today, I am introducing legislation which could truly end this war and get our troops home. This week I voted for the emergency spending bill because as long as a single soldier is in Iraq, I will do everything I can to make sure he or she has the best protection we can provide. For example, if we did not get this emergency money into the pipeline, we would leave our soldiers and Marines without the Mine Resistant Vehicles I have been fighting for and that this Administration has denied them.
"We have to keep relentless pressure on Republicans in Congress - and that's why I'm introducing this bill today," said Sen. Biden. "If the President won't change course, we need those votes to overcome his resistance. So day after day, vote after vote, we will keep pressure on him and on our Republican colleagues who support his disastrous policies in Iraq."
"That's how this war will end, and I will work every day to make that day come as soon as possible."
Additional Contact Information/Resources:
Read more about this bill :
http://biden.senate.gov/newsroom/details.cfm?id=275164&
Learn more about the Biden-Gelb Plan For Iraq:
http://www.planforiraq.com
To sign Sen. Biden's petition for no more troops in Iraq:
http://www.nomoretroops.com