Congressional Democrats: Nothing But Smoke and Mirrors
If you’ve been following the news in the past year, you’ve probably noticed how completely useless our new Democratic “leaders” have been. And you were probably wondering: is this something calculated; some sort of sick variation on Good Cop Bad Cop? Or are the Democrats really this timid and scared shitless of their own shadows?
Well, wonder no more. It’s a scam. (Hope you'll read this whole article by Matt Taibbi; and preferably bookmark it. It'll piss you off, but we need to know this.) We've been had. And with all due respect to that song by The Who, we probably WILL get fooled again. And again and again…
The Democrats have made a conscious decision NOT to focus on getting us out of Iraq. Instead, they're focusing all of their time and energy on defeating Republicans in the upcoming election. I would’ve thought that getting us out of Iraq (since that was the reason we ELECTED them!) would be the best way to win the ’08 election, but what do I know?
Harry Reid actually came out and said that he can't fit Iraq into his busy schedule. "
And Nancy Pelosi actually said — this is no joke! — that she’s putting Iraq on hold until 2009, because by then "we'll have a new president. And I do think at that time we'll take a fresh look at it." Whoa! Stand back! She's planning to "take a fresh look at it." OOOOOOHHH!!! Talk about somebody who jumps right in there and grabs the bull by the horns.
But the most infuriating thing about this whole charade is the fact that it’s so calculated and devious. They're pulling the same sleight-of-hand tricks over and over. They don't want to solve any problems. Fuck no, they want to keep the Iraqi war and all the rest of Bush’s scandals front and center so they can keep campaigning against them. “Goddammit, this time we’re really gonna stand up and say NO to Iraqmire / waterboarding / the Patriot ACT / the Military Commissions Act / telecom immunity…oh darn, we lost again. But by golly we sure tried.”
An aide to one anti-war House member said: "It was all about the public show. Reid and Pelosi would say they were taking this tough stand against Bush, but if you actually looked at what they were sending to a vote, it was like Swiss cheese. Full of holes."
He also said: “Can you imagine Tom DeLay and Denny Hastert taking no for an answer the way Reid and Pelosi did on Iraq? They'd find a way to get the votes. They'd get it done somehow."
Lynn Woolsey and Barbara Lee are two Democrats who are fed up with Reid and Pelosi. Woolsey said: “If we'd been bold the minute we got control of the House — and that's why we got the majority, because the people of this country wanted us out of Iraq — if we'd been bold, even if we lost the votes, we would have gained our voice."
The article says: “Before the 2006 elections, Democrats told us we could expect more specifics on their war plans after Election Day…and now they are once again telling us to wait until after an election to see real action to stop the war.” Film at eleven.
Matt Taibbi ends the article with: “Just get it done. Because if you don't, sooner or later this con is going to run dry. It may not be in '08, but it'll be soon. Even Americans can't be fooled forever.”
cross-posted at Bring It On!
Labels: Democrats Good Cop Bad Cop, Matt Taibbi
posted by Tom Harper @ 10:29 AM
9 Comments:
Just so you know, you get an imaginary high five for this article. I loove Matt Taibbi because he's wicked cute, honest, and funny.
In honest truth, the Dems were not gonna stand up to Bush. They were utilizing the Anti-Iraq slogan to win the House/Senate in '06. Pelosi and Reid don't have a backbone let alone a conscious to do what's right and stand up.
If Obama loses the election it's not because he did not have the right intentions but because his party screwed him over. I mean seriously, how long can you run on the "we'll bring the troops home" message? 2012? Matt is right, "Just get it done. Because if you don't, sooner or later this con is going to run dry. It may not be in '08, but it'll be soon." And the American people will have grown a brain by then.
Jo
Jo: Thanks. Matt Taibbi's articles are the best part of Rolling Stone. I guess it's been obvious that the Democrats are just putting on a charade, but it's even more maddening when you finally see it spelled out in black and white.
I think Obama is the only hope for '08. As far as I know he's the only candidate who didn't "vote for the Iraqi invasion before he voted against it."
The spineless dem "leadership" was always going to be like this, and that was apparent LONG before 2006.
Only when "Nanny" Pelosi and "Stepnfetchit" Reid are dethroned will anything change. And send some @$%@#$%@#$ DINOs out with them.
This is tough to say,
While the Democrats were fighting issues the Republicans were fighting Democrats and it was working. I don't feel for Chafee as he fails to admit his party bosses have been taking a "take no prisoners" type of policy for years and they don't apologize for it.
Nancy fought fire with fire after hearing many years from analyst how the Democratic Diversity was hurting them and how they should dump the people of color if they want to win and she proved they can win.
You can bet the Republicans are like wounded animals, they tasted blood and they are going to go for the attack and it will be bloody, I can't wait to see what sort of willie horton/swiftboat type bullshit they have waiting for Obama, Hillary, or anyone else that stands in their way. Hey it worked didn't it?
Besides the public is damn fickle about wanting out of Iraq, they scream no more war then back down when it comes to the how or if it looks like it's an act of cowardice or may even "Gasp" bring the terrorist here. If I were a politician I would not trust the public on this one unless I see at least a million people in front of the white house protesting. Otherwise it's just a nice idea rather then a demand.
I believe the only way to do this is to wait to see if the next president is a democrat and then work on it, if not get more seats in both houses and then try again.
Erik
Not apologizing for the Democrats no way
JR: Yup, out with Pelosi and Reid and the DINOs. The latest news I've seen is that the House might actually let the Protect America Act and telecom immunity expire, but I don't believe it. This is the same stunt they've been pulling for over a year, and I'm sure this "battle" will end the same way.
Erik: True, the public is fickle, but I think the new Democratic majority made a huge mistake by not standing firm from day one. Barbara Lee and Lynn Woolsey both said that in the article, and it makes sense. At some point a politician has to fight for what he/she was elected to do. I know the public is easily swayed and the Right has thousands of talking points and swiftboating tactics, but I'm just fed up with the Democrats' same "battle" plan over and over: drawing a line in the sand, and then stepping back when Bush glares at them.
The Republican Congress made Clinton's life miserable, even before they became the majority in 1994. As much as I hate them, the Democrats could learn some tactics from them.
Bush's ratings were crap in 2006 thanks to Iraq, and thus we got some Dems in. Instead of using that to hammer back all of last year, they avoided it.
I see what Wexler is doing for example - and Waxman has always been a good dude doing about a zillion things it seems - and wonder if they had been that tough once they got in and had the majority - yeah, not the 60-vote shit - they could've redirected the narrative better.
Now we're stuck hoping Obama/Hillary gets in, and hoping that the Democratic congress will do the right thing.
Randal: For 13 months it's seemed like the Dems have been poised and positioned to really do something. They've been right on the edge -- as soon as they issue this subpoena, as soon as they attach this amendment, all Hell is gonna break loose. And it keeps not happening. If a vicious looking dog has been barking at you nonstop for 13 months, you can be pretty sure it isn't gonna bite you.
And all these showdowns where they just roll over -- it's pitiful. Even if they lose a vote, it'll bring the issue front and center where it needs to be.
Tom, you make a good point. While part of me can understand them just waiting out the presidential election, the rest ofme is saying, "Oh for pity's sake, impeach Cheney and Bush too if you can, and show the world that the smoke and mirrors really belongs to this administration." I keep wondering how long or what will it take for the Dens to grow a backbone. What do they have to be scared of? The truth is so big and painful for these neo-cons that they can't Swiftboat their way out of it.
Mile High Pixie: You're right, I don't know what the Democrats are so afraid of. Politics gets rough. If they can't handle being called names and getting swiftboated, they're in the wrong line of work. We elected them to do a job and they haven't even attempted to do it.
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