Farewell, Senator Jeffords
Just to remind us of how LAME the damn Democrats are, along comes this news tidbit all but ignored by even the good 'liberal' web sites, the retirement good-byes of Vermont Senator Jim Jeffords.
A SALUTE TO YOU, SENATOR JEFFORDS! Your courageous choice TO QUIT the Republican Party in opposition to the policies of the Bush White House in will leave a HISTORICAL MARKER of "what COULD-HAVE-BEEN" had the Democratic leadership had only one-tenth of your committment, come hell or high water.
You quit, or "defected," from the Republican Party because you were disgusted with the Bush White House's "My Way, or the Highway!" version of "bipartisan democracy."
Your switch GAVE THE Senate MAJORITY *BACK* to the Democrats, then led by South Dakota Senator Tom Daschle.
Tom Daschle, a Vietnam veteran and tireless campaigner with a winning personality, SHOULD have been a great majority leader. But instead Daschle was CO-OPTED (not to say "corrupted") by the Inside-the-Beltway Establishment. Not only was Daschle's wife a highly paid corporate lobbyist, but Daschle COULD NEVER formulate a winning, fighting strategy against the GOP's "divide, sow fear, and conquer" strategy, the ability of the Republican Party to use divisive, identity-politics issues to get "heartland" voters TO VOTE AGAINST THEIR OWN ECONOMIC SELF-INTEREST. That is, Tom Daschle, despite being a personable leader from a "heartland" state, and despite monstrous influence (as Senate leader) OVER THE ENTIRE US BUDGET PROCESS, couldn't even articulate the "WHAT's the MATTER WITH KANSAS" issues, much less win them. In short, Daschle was NO MATCH for the Karl Rove Republican Smear-n'-Slime machine, and Daschle went down to ignominious defeat, despite the advantages of not only his incumbency, but despite his ability as Senate Leader to bring (literally) billions of dollars worth of government "pork" to his constituents... a relatively small number of constituents from a small, rural state at that.
Thus the 'leadership' of TOM DASCHLE and other Senate Democrats NEGATED the courageous switch of Vermont Senator Jeffords.
By switching from the Republican Party, Jeffords HANDED THE SENATE MAJORITY on a silver platter to the Democrats in early 20022, GIVING the Democrats AN OPPORTUNITY to DEFINE THE ISSUES and orchestrate SOME MEANINGFUL, COORDINATED *opposition* to the Bush administration's RADICAL agenda that Senator Jeffords so dramatically rejected.
WHAT was the Democrat's RESPONSE to this OPPORTUNITY ??
answer: NOTHING!
Senator Joe Lieberman was RESTORED to his Chairmanship of the Sen. Governmental Affairs Committee, and Daschle and other Dem 'leaders' decided that the ENRON investigation would be handled by Lieberman's committee.
THAT was a monstrous, black-hole DEAD END to the Senate's ENRON investigation, for Lieberman all but threw a wet blanket on an aggressive and thorough investigation.
ENRON got off SCOTT FREE in Lieberman's 2002 committee while mid-term Democratic candidates WERE ROBBED of their BEST mid-term election issue, the chance to TIE the Bush-Cheney administration to relentless, systematic ENRON FRAUD.
And the Democrat meltdown would not end with the Democrats LOSING the Senate Majority in that 2002 midterm (with Senator MAX CLELAND going down to a Karl Rove smear campaign WITH ZERO HELP from the DC Democrats), because, let OFF THE HOOK by the Daschle/Lieberman/Democrat senate, the Bush White House was once again FREE TO RUN INTERFERENCE for ENRON CORRUPTION, (much as President George H. W. Bush stayed a federal banking audit of CHARLES KEATING's Lincoln Savings and Loan, thereby allowing Keating to run up ANOTHER one billion in taxpayer-subsidized losses before Lincoln was finally shut down a year later), and in California ENRON looted consumers and rate-payers of BILLIONS of dollars with rigged bids and coordinated powerplant and grid shutdowns. For THAT dismal failure (to PROTECT California consumers from ENRON EXTORTION) the Democrats also LOST THE California GOVERNOR's MANSION.
Today, the IRAQ WAR is only a SUBSET of the larger problem, the ARROGANCE and CORRUPTION of the Bush-Cheney-Republican administration. The fact that Democrats can NOT find their voice to criticize the Iraq war, or traction "in the heartland" is understandable, if you realize that Democrats are incapable of DEFENDING American citizens and consumers FROM REPUBLICAN CRIMES and CORRUPTION.
IF Democrats can't defend American citizens here at home from white-collar crimes, fraud, and corruption, how the hell are they going to defend America from internationally financed terrorists?
================================
Goodbye, Washington
Washington, D.C. - September 27, 2006
http://www.wcax.com/Global/story.asp?S=5465269&nav=menu183_2_9_3
Senator Jim Jeffords bid farewell to the U.S. Senate Tuesday. He made his final address on the Senate floor after 18 years of service.
During his 32-year tenure, which included a stint in the House of Representatives, Jeffords helped bring Amtrak back to Vermont, fought for environmental causes and helped win passage of the Northeast Dairy Compact, boosting prices for struggling farmers.
But the Independent will most likely be remembered for leaving the Republican Party because of disagreements with the Bush administration.
Jeffords announced last year he would not seek a fourth term due to his declining healt
A SALUTE TO YOU, SENATOR JEFFORDS! Your courageous choice TO QUIT the Republican Party in opposition to the policies of the Bush White House in will leave a HISTORICAL MARKER of "what COULD-HAVE-BEEN" had the Democratic leadership had only one-tenth of your committment, come hell or high water.
You quit, or "defected," from the Republican Party because you were disgusted with the Bush White House's "My Way, or the Highway!" version of "bipartisan democracy."
Your switch GAVE THE Senate MAJORITY *BACK* to the Democrats, then led by South Dakota Senator Tom Daschle.
Tom Daschle, a Vietnam veteran and tireless campaigner with a winning personality, SHOULD have been a great majority leader. But instead Daschle was CO-OPTED (not to say "corrupted") by the Inside-the-Beltway Establishment. Not only was Daschle's wife a highly paid corporate lobbyist, but Daschle COULD NEVER formulate a winning, fighting strategy against the GOP's "divide, sow fear, and conquer" strategy, the ability of the Republican Party to use divisive, identity-politics issues to get "heartland" voters TO VOTE AGAINST THEIR OWN ECONOMIC SELF-INTEREST. That is, Tom Daschle, despite being a personable leader from a "heartland" state, and despite monstrous influence (as Senate leader) OVER THE ENTIRE US BUDGET PROCESS, couldn't even articulate the "WHAT's the MATTER WITH KANSAS" issues, much less win them. In short, Daschle was NO MATCH for the Karl Rove Republican Smear-n'-Slime machine, and Daschle went down to ignominious defeat, despite the advantages of not only his incumbency, but despite his ability as Senate Leader to bring (literally) billions of dollars worth of government "pork" to his constituents... a relatively small number of constituents from a small, rural state at that.
Thus the 'leadership' of TOM DASCHLE and other Senate Democrats NEGATED the courageous switch of Vermont Senator Jeffords.
By switching from the Republican Party, Jeffords HANDED THE SENATE MAJORITY on a silver platter to the Democrats in early 20022, GIVING the Democrats AN OPPORTUNITY to DEFINE THE ISSUES and orchestrate SOME MEANINGFUL, COORDINATED *opposition* to the Bush administration's RADICAL agenda that Senator Jeffords so dramatically rejected.
WHAT was the Democrat's RESPONSE to this OPPORTUNITY ??
answer: NOTHING!
Senator Joe Lieberman was RESTORED to his Chairmanship of the Sen. Governmental Affairs Committee, and Daschle and other Dem 'leaders' decided that the ENRON investigation would be handled by Lieberman's committee.
THAT was a monstrous, black-hole DEAD END to the Senate's ENRON investigation, for Lieberman all but threw a wet blanket on an aggressive and thorough investigation.
ENRON got off SCOTT FREE in Lieberman's 2002 committee while mid-term Democratic candidates WERE ROBBED of their BEST mid-term election issue, the chance to TIE the Bush-Cheney administration to relentless, systematic ENRON FRAUD.
And the Democrat meltdown would not end with the Democrats LOSING the Senate Majority in that 2002 midterm (with Senator MAX CLELAND going down to a Karl Rove smear campaign WITH ZERO HELP from the DC Democrats), because, let OFF THE HOOK by the Daschle/Lieberman/Democrat senate, the Bush White House was once again FREE TO RUN INTERFERENCE for ENRON CORRUPTION, (much as President George H. W. Bush stayed a federal banking audit of CHARLES KEATING's Lincoln Savings and Loan, thereby allowing Keating to run up ANOTHER one billion in taxpayer-subsidized losses before Lincoln was finally shut down a year later), and in California ENRON looted consumers and rate-payers of BILLIONS of dollars with rigged bids and coordinated powerplant and grid shutdowns. For THAT dismal failure (to PROTECT California consumers from ENRON EXTORTION) the Democrats also LOST THE California GOVERNOR's MANSION.
Today, the IRAQ WAR is only a SUBSET of the larger problem, the ARROGANCE and CORRUPTION of the Bush-Cheney-Republican administration. The fact that Democrats can NOT find their voice to criticize the Iraq war, or traction "in the heartland" is understandable, if you realize that Democrats are incapable of DEFENDING American citizens and consumers FROM REPUBLICAN CRIMES and CORRUPTION.
IF Democrats can't defend American citizens here at home from white-collar crimes, fraud, and corruption, how the hell are they going to defend America from internationally financed terrorists?
================================
Goodbye, Washington
Washington, D.C. - September 27, 2006
http://www.wcax.com/Global/story.asp?S=5465269&nav=menu183_2_9_3
Senator Jim Jeffords bid farewell to the U.S. Senate Tuesday. He made his final address on the Senate floor after 18 years of service.
During his 32-year tenure, which included a stint in the House of Representatives, Jeffords helped bring Amtrak back to Vermont, fought for environmental causes and helped win passage of the Northeast Dairy Compact, boosting prices for struggling farmers.
But the Independent will most likely be remembered for leaving the Republican Party because of disagreements with the Bush administration.
Jeffords announced last year he would not seek a fourth term due to his declining healt
posted by verifi at 9:25 AM
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