Friday, November 03, 2006
Hey you: Help wake up the President
[This post is pretty full of boring procedural platitudes and so on so if you don't want to read me telling myself why to vote for Dems you can move along!]
News is spreading fast about the "Neo Culpa" on Vanity Fair. They interview several key players in the decision making process leading to the Iraq war and these Neocons all place the blame for the disaster squarely on the shoulders of the President himself.
The fact that Richard Perle is using the term disaster to describe Iraq is key. The President and wingnut koolaid drinkers are in full throat about how they will lead us to victory. Any T.V. personality interviewing one of these types has to be prepared for the inevitable "do you want America to win" line of questioning. (The correct answer to this logic btw is "define win", and then respond as appropriate. If the definition of win is for American arms to bring peace and a pro western government to Iraq I think we can all agree that would be fantastic, just like having a bag of gold dropped on your front porch would be wonderful as well, but just won't happen. Lets talk reality here.)
The Vanity Fair article details the neocons assertions that the White House is incompetent and dysfunctional. I'm certain this is the case but the real issue here is not how we got to where we are, but how we proceed going forward.
If the people who planned and rooted for the invasion are now throwing the President under the figurative bus, it ought to be obvious that a change in course is the only viable solution. The status quo is universally recognized as a disaster, even by the very people who led us to this point. Only died in the wool dead ender partisans of this administration claim this is working out in our best interests. It is time for someone to burst this Presidents bubble. And that is where you the voter come into play.
You the voter have the ability to provide the pin prick that will burst that bubble. Electing Democrats to take control of the Congress will result in a huge wake up call being sent to this White House. This HAS to happen because each and every death that occurs because of the intransigent and incompetent policies fostered by this White House is a life lost in vain.
As Andrew Sullivan says, this no longer is an election, it is an intervention. There are lives in the balance. As you cast that vote you are affirming or condemning the policies of this administration. You may think that your local Republican office holder is a great person who is great on the issues. This election goes beyond these local affairs. This election is a referendum on an issue that has cost this nation dearly in blood and treasure for the pride of a bull headed President. Your vote will have an indirect influence on the future lives, or deaths as the case may be, of thousands of people half the world away.
My wife the other day asked me if I would vote for a Republican who agreed with me, when the Democratic candidate was against me on the issues. Imagine if Bob Casey (D. senate candidate from P.A.) were running against Lincoln Chafee (R. senate incumbent from R.I.) for office in my state. I agree with Lincoln alot more than I do with Bob on the various issues in play. However the important part here is that Lincoln is going to vote for Senator Trent Lott to be Majority leader, where as Bob is going to vote for Harry Reid. Whichever one of these Senators is leader determines which bills will be considered by which committees. Chaffee might think increasing the minimum wage is a great idea, but Trent does not. Bob might not want to increase the wage, but Harry will see to it that the issue is at least brought to a vote. Voting Lincoln allows me to say I voted for a guy I agreed with, but I know he enables those who disagree with me to completely suppress my agenda. Voting Bob means I have someone who doesn't agree with my politics, but he will enable my issues to come to a vote.
The Republican Congress has enabled this President to lead us into this disaster, and they steadfastly refuse to hold him to account for doing so. They continue to do so with today's news that Duncan Hunter had the office of the only overseer of public funds being sent to Iraq closed with a last minute redaction of the funds to continue that office being included in the latest Iraq spending bill. No one even knew what happened until the people were packing their bags and closing the office. The President has been given carte blanche with Iraq and it is time for we the people to tell him enough is enough. Take away the Congressional rubberstamp and make the President face the music by voting for your local Democratic candidate on Tuesday.
News is spreading fast about the "Neo Culpa" on Vanity Fair. They interview several key players in the decision making process leading to the Iraq war and these Neocons all place the blame for the disaster squarely on the shoulders of the President himself.
The fact that Richard Perle is using the term disaster to describe Iraq is key. The President and wingnut koolaid drinkers are in full throat about how they will lead us to victory. Any T.V. personality interviewing one of these types has to be prepared for the inevitable "do you want America to win" line of questioning. (The correct answer to this logic btw is "define win", and then respond as appropriate. If the definition of win is for American arms to bring peace and a pro western government to Iraq I think we can all agree that would be fantastic, just like having a bag of gold dropped on your front porch would be wonderful as well, but just won't happen. Lets talk reality here.)
The Vanity Fair article details the neocons assertions that the White House is incompetent and dysfunctional. I'm certain this is the case but the real issue here is not how we got to where we are, but how we proceed going forward.
If the people who planned and rooted for the invasion are now throwing the President under the figurative bus, it ought to be obvious that a change in course is the only viable solution. The status quo is universally recognized as a disaster, even by the very people who led us to this point. Only died in the wool dead ender partisans of this administration claim this is working out in our best interests. It is time for someone to burst this Presidents bubble. And that is where you the voter come into play.
You the voter have the ability to provide the pin prick that will burst that bubble. Electing Democrats to take control of the Congress will result in a huge wake up call being sent to this White House. This HAS to happen because each and every death that occurs because of the intransigent and incompetent policies fostered by this White House is a life lost in vain.
As Andrew Sullivan says, this no longer is an election, it is an intervention. There are lives in the balance. As you cast that vote you are affirming or condemning the policies of this administration. You may think that your local Republican office holder is a great person who is great on the issues. This election goes beyond these local affairs. This election is a referendum on an issue that has cost this nation dearly in blood and treasure for the pride of a bull headed President. Your vote will have an indirect influence on the future lives, or deaths as the case may be, of thousands of people half the world away.
My wife the other day asked me if I would vote for a Republican who agreed with me, when the Democratic candidate was against me on the issues. Imagine if Bob Casey (D. senate candidate from P.A.) were running against Lincoln Chafee (R. senate incumbent from R.I.) for office in my state. I agree with Lincoln alot more than I do with Bob on the various issues in play. However the important part here is that Lincoln is going to vote for Senator Trent Lott to be Majority leader, where as Bob is going to vote for Harry Reid. Whichever one of these Senators is leader determines which bills will be considered by which committees. Chaffee might think increasing the minimum wage is a great idea, but Trent does not. Bob might not want to increase the wage, but Harry will see to it that the issue is at least brought to a vote. Voting Lincoln allows me to say I voted for a guy I agreed with, but I know he enables those who disagree with me to completely suppress my agenda. Voting Bob means I have someone who doesn't agree with my politics, but he will enable my issues to come to a vote.
The Republican Congress has enabled this President to lead us into this disaster, and they steadfastly refuse to hold him to account for doing so. They continue to do so with today's news that Duncan Hunter had the office of the only overseer of public funds being sent to Iraq closed with a last minute redaction of the funds to continue that office being included in the latest Iraq spending bill. No one even knew what happened until the people were packing their bags and closing the office. The President has been given carte blanche with Iraq and it is time for we the people to tell him enough is enough. Take away the Congressional rubberstamp and make the President face the music by voting for your local Democratic candidate on Tuesday.
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