The RACE is on: Dems must INVESTIGATE the Bush admin, before THEY bear the brunt of media and right-wing BLAME for Bush's disatrous policies
Can anyone say "BACKLASH"??!
The RACE is on: Dems must INVESTIGATE the Bush admin, before THEY bear the brunt of media and right-wing BLAME for Bush's disatrous policies.
Already, one element of the media/Right-Wing BACKLASH is on: on the Immus in the morning radio show they were busy rehabilitating GEORGE H.W. Bush (Sr.), and casting HIM in a "Great Leader" light.
What did George H.W. Bush in was his ARROGANCE, his "Read my lips, no new taxes" SNEAR.
Where, we wonder, did W (junior) get _his_ SNEAR of Democrats and non-top 10% Republicans? Well, that one comment ALONE ("read my lips...") indicates that Junior didn't get his scorn and contempt of the unwashed masses from Barbara Bush (his mother) alone.
MORE TO THE POINT, the IRAQ WAR is JUST NOW Starting to unravel.... like any classic INSURGENCY, which is to say GUERRILLA WAR, the INSURGENTS GET BETTER AND BETTER AND BETTER with time, even if the American forces get better with time as well. PART of the reason that so many in America were so quick to support the miserable excuses for the invasion of Iraq was because we Americans WHITEWASHED the TRUE nature of the counter-insurgency war in Vietnam, i.e. the war against the VC (and to a lesser extent the Khmer Rouge), where TORTURE, ASSASSINATIONS and near genocidal "ETHNIC CLEANSING" (aka "free-fire zones") were the order of the day. These tactics (assassinations, torture, and ethnic cleansing) were how Saddam maintained HIS rule over Iraq (with considerable American financial and military assistance), for example, read the first-hand reports of Sadddam's ANFAL campaign against the Kurds in the late 1980s as written by Peter Galbraith in his book, "The End of Iraq."
What is important is that Iraq, itself, has been a HORNET's NEST for at least two dozen years, and Rumsfeld, the Neo-Cons, Cheney, and Bush REALLY THOUGHT they could waltz in there, assassinate (or capture) a few Baathist leaders (remember Bush's deck of cards, "Top 50 Iraq's most wanted"?), terrorize "the insurgents" (via torture at US "privatized security interrogator" hands), and in general lord it over the humbled and awed Iraqis like the Wizard of Oz or something.
Indeed, the FIRST thing the Bush-Cheney-Rumsfeld-Wolfowitz INVASION of Iraq did was to UNDO TWO DECADES OF US POLICY IN THE REGION, the policy to USE SUNNIS in Iraq (the Saddam Sunni-manned Baathist Party) as a RESTRAINT or constraint on the SHIITE MAJORITY.
THAT is the NIGHTMARE that Bush-Cheney-Rumsfeld-Wolfowitz have CREATED in Iraq, and don't forget, Bush senior's term saw the US first provoke (or at the very least ENCOURAGE) the Shiite REVOLT against Saddam after the '91 war... AND THEN DID NOTHING as Saddam's death squads CRUSHED the rebellion, with estimates of up to 300,000 killed in gunship attacks and mass executions AS THE AMERICANS DID NOTHING, NOT EVEN compel Saddam to STOP using his helicopter gunships. (Again, Peter Galbraith has the short and ugly first-hand details in his book.)
All through the past six years, we have seen the American "major" or "Mainstream Media's" tendency to spin RIGHT-WING TALKING POINTS. (Special mention: Judith Miller, the New York Times reporter whose articles were SO slanted towards justifying the war as to lead to speculation that she is one of the reporters on the CIA's multi-million-dollar US payroll, is now decrying the excesses and trashing of American freedoms by the Bush Republicans.)
http://www.cjonline.com/stories/111106/kan_miller.shtml
The Democratic congressional wave is NOT EVEN A WEEK OLD, and ALREADY the Mainstream Media is casting about in a desperate search for a NEW right-wing savior, and they are HAPPY to REHABILITATE the record of the Bush Sr. administration to do so.
IF they Democrats DO NOT AGGRESSIVELY PORTRAY the Republican record, they will suffer a BACKLASH as the Republicans and media BLAME THE DEMOCRATS for those Republican follies.
===============================================
Dems Should Act Like They Have A Mandate And Then They Will Create One
Miles Mogulescu
11.14.2006
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/miles-mogulescu/dems-should-act-like-they_b_34065.html
The Democrat's wave-like victory was based in large part on rejection of Bush and Republicans, rather than wide-spread support for Democrats. It was also a resounding vote for change.
Now, to accomplish real change, and to solidify support among the broad middle class, the Democrats need to act like they have a mandate on a wide-range of issues, particularly those that focus of poor and middle class voter's anxieties about their future place in the global economy.
By acting quickly and decisively on such programs, the Democrats will give voters positive reasons to vote Democratic in '08.
Many of the easiest measures to pass quickly also unite progressive and so-called "centrist" democrats and can maintain substantial party unity for quite some time. They can receive enthusiastic support from Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders, Rahm Emanuel and Dennis Kucinich.
First, Democrats' goal for the Republican lame duck session of Congress should be to do no harm. They need to prevent Republicans from passing bad legislation that will be hard to undo.
Among other things, Congressional Democrats should:
--Turn down John Bolton's nomination as UN Ambassador--If there's any single message coming out of the election, it's rejection by voters of the neo-con foreign policy that Bolton represents.
--Block, and filibuster if necessary, any Republican legislation to authorize Bush's domestic wiretapping without a warrant. In the incoming Congress, Democrats can then pass a bill which both defends the nation against terrorists and upholds the Constitution and America's basic liberties.
--Do not allow Bush's energy plan to pass, particularly those portions which subsidize oil companies. In the new Congress Democrats can then focus on a serious program to move America towards energy independence and prevent global warming.
--Strip away earmarks from the spending bills which need to be passed, demonstrating Democrat's determination to stop political corruption, reduce the deficit and use the taxpayers' money responsibly.
--Use the hearings on Robert Gates appointment as Defense Secretary to highlight Bush administration failures in Iraq, and to explore Gates' history of cherry-picking intelligence to suit political needs.
--Reauthorize the special inspector general's office to monitor US spending on Iraq reconstruction.
Then as soon as the new Congress opens for business in January, the Democrats need to sprint out of the gate. For the very beginning, Speaker Pelosi's 100 hour program is a good place to start.
--Raise the minimum wage.
--Cut the interest on student loans in half.
--Allow the government to negotiate directly with pharmaceutical companies to lower Medicare drug prices, possibly saving enough to eliminate the so-call "donut hole".
--broaden the type of stem-cell research financed by the federal government.
--clean up Congress and break the link between special interest lobbyists and legislation.
Imagine how the momentum will shift to the Democrats if, by the end of their first week or two in power, the Democrats manage to accomplish almost all of this agenda. These measures are widely supported by both the progressive and "centrist" wings of the Democratic Party and will be popular among the American people. The Democrats can afford to dare senate Republicans to filibuster these programs or Bush to veto them.
That picks off the lowest hanging fruit, but there's much more a Democratic
Congress can accomplish in its first term.
--Pass an Apollo type energy program to make America substantially energy independent within a decade, address global warming, and create tens of thousands of high quality jobs.
--Take the first steps towards national health care. Make everyone eligible to buy into the Medicare program and provide financial assistance to those who cannot afford the full premiums.
--Repeal Bush's tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans
--Pass a wiretapping bill that will allow law-enforcement to listen in when necessary to terrorists who wish to harm bus, but will not infringe on the constitutional the liberties of theAmerican peoplle--require the government to get a warrant from a special court and in exceptional cases, allow the wire-tapping to begin immediately but require the government to get a warrant within a few days.
--Restore the full right of habeas corpus.
--Stop the construction of permanent military bases in Iraq.
--Block the nomination of right wing judges.
--Reform federal election law to require that electronic voting machines provide paper back-up which can be used for audits and recounts.
Again, most Democrats, progressive or "centrist", can support such measures and a large-part of the electorate will respect the Democrat's boldness and gain positive reasons to back Democrats in 2008. The Democrats need to create the pressure on Republicans in the Senate not to filibuster such measures and on Bush not to veto them. If the Republicans and Bush do, Democrats have a large part of their program to run on in '08.
Finally there is the questions of Congressional investigations of the Bush administration's misdeeds, including the dishonest use of pre-war intelligence, war profiteering, Cheney's energy task force, the handling of Hurricane Katrina and the appointment of industry lobbyists to head government regulatory agencies. Already, there are some in the mainstream media who are pressing Democrats to forego such investigations on the grounds that they will turn off mainstream America. If carried out responsibly, nothing could be further from the truth. Americans want the light to shine into to the deepest recesses of government. Such investigations are the right thing to do and they will only strengthen Democrat's chances in '08, particularly when coupled with passage of the type of progressive legislation suggested above.
This blog is running long so I will leave Iraq and national security for another blog. The only thing I do want to say is that Democrats must decide what their goal is in Iraq. Is it simply to change tactics in the hope of achieving "victory" (i.e. a stable, secular, unified, democratic and free market capitalist Iraq)? Or is it to admit "victory" cannot be achieved and the goal is to find a rapid way out of Iraq which will leave the least possible damage behind?
In any case, if Democrats act like they have a mandate, they can move quickly to pass important legislation, undo some of the damage of the last six years, move the country in a progressive direction, and reinforce the support of the poor and middle class for the '08 elections.
The RACE is on: Dems must INVESTIGATE the Bush admin, before THEY bear the brunt of media and right-wing BLAME for Bush's disatrous policies.
Already, one element of the media/Right-Wing BACKLASH is on: on the Immus in the morning radio show they were busy rehabilitating GEORGE H.W. Bush (Sr.), and casting HIM in a "Great Leader" light.
What did George H.W. Bush in was his ARROGANCE, his "Read my lips, no new taxes" SNEAR.
Where, we wonder, did W (junior) get _his_ SNEAR of Democrats and non-top 10% Republicans? Well, that one comment ALONE ("read my lips...") indicates that Junior didn't get his scorn and contempt of the unwashed masses from Barbara Bush (his mother) alone.
MORE TO THE POINT, the IRAQ WAR is JUST NOW Starting to unravel.... like any classic INSURGENCY, which is to say GUERRILLA WAR, the INSURGENTS GET BETTER AND BETTER AND BETTER with time, even if the American forces get better with time as well. PART of the reason that so many in America were so quick to support the miserable excuses for the invasion of Iraq was because we Americans WHITEWASHED the TRUE nature of the counter-insurgency war in Vietnam, i.e. the war against the VC (and to a lesser extent the Khmer Rouge), where TORTURE, ASSASSINATIONS and near genocidal "ETHNIC CLEANSING" (aka "free-fire zones") were the order of the day. These tactics (assassinations, torture, and ethnic cleansing) were how Saddam maintained HIS rule over Iraq (with considerable American financial and military assistance), for example, read the first-hand reports of Sadddam's ANFAL campaign against the Kurds in the late 1980s as written by Peter Galbraith in his book, "The End of Iraq."
What is important is that Iraq, itself, has been a HORNET's NEST for at least two dozen years, and Rumsfeld, the Neo-Cons, Cheney, and Bush REALLY THOUGHT they could waltz in there, assassinate (or capture) a few Baathist leaders (remember Bush's deck of cards, "Top 50 Iraq's most wanted"?), terrorize "the insurgents" (via torture at US "privatized security interrogator" hands), and in general lord it over the humbled and awed Iraqis like the Wizard of Oz or something.
Indeed, the FIRST thing the Bush-Cheney-Rumsfeld-Wolfowitz INVASION of Iraq did was to UNDO TWO DECADES OF US POLICY IN THE REGION, the policy to USE SUNNIS in Iraq (the Saddam Sunni-manned Baathist Party) as a RESTRAINT or constraint on the SHIITE MAJORITY.
THAT is the NIGHTMARE that Bush-Cheney-Rumsfeld-Wolfowitz have CREATED in Iraq, and don't forget, Bush senior's term saw the US first provoke (or at the very least ENCOURAGE) the Shiite REVOLT against Saddam after the '91 war... AND THEN DID NOTHING as Saddam's death squads CRUSHED the rebellion, with estimates of up to 300,000 killed in gunship attacks and mass executions AS THE AMERICANS DID NOTHING, NOT EVEN compel Saddam to STOP using his helicopter gunships. (Again, Peter Galbraith has the short and ugly first-hand details in his book.)
All through the past six years, we have seen the American "major" or "Mainstream Media's" tendency to spin RIGHT-WING TALKING POINTS. (Special mention: Judith Miller, the New York Times reporter whose articles were SO slanted towards justifying the war as to lead to speculation that she is one of the reporters on the CIA's multi-million-dollar US payroll, is now decrying the excesses and trashing of American freedoms by the Bush Republicans.)
http://www.cjonline.com/stories/111106/kan_miller.shtml
The Democratic congressional wave is NOT EVEN A WEEK OLD, and ALREADY the Mainstream Media is casting about in a desperate search for a NEW right-wing savior, and they are HAPPY to REHABILITATE the record of the Bush Sr. administration to do so.
IF they Democrats DO NOT AGGRESSIVELY PORTRAY the Republican record, they will suffer a BACKLASH as the Republicans and media BLAME THE DEMOCRATS for those Republican follies.
===============================================
Dems Should Act Like They Have A Mandate And Then They Will Create One
Miles Mogulescu
11.14.2006
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/miles-mogulescu/dems-should-act-like-they_b_34065.html
The Democrat's wave-like victory was based in large part on rejection of Bush and Republicans, rather than wide-spread support for Democrats. It was also a resounding vote for change.
Now, to accomplish real change, and to solidify support among the broad middle class, the Democrats need to act like they have a mandate on a wide-range of issues, particularly those that focus of poor and middle class voter's anxieties about their future place in the global economy.
By acting quickly and decisively on such programs, the Democrats will give voters positive reasons to vote Democratic in '08.
Many of the easiest measures to pass quickly also unite progressive and so-called "centrist" democrats and can maintain substantial party unity for quite some time. They can receive enthusiastic support from Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders, Rahm Emanuel and Dennis Kucinich.
First, Democrats' goal for the Republican lame duck session of Congress should be to do no harm. They need to prevent Republicans from passing bad legislation that will be hard to undo.
Among other things, Congressional Democrats should:
--Turn down John Bolton's nomination as UN Ambassador--If there's any single message coming out of the election, it's rejection by voters of the neo-con foreign policy that Bolton represents.
--Block, and filibuster if necessary, any Republican legislation to authorize Bush's domestic wiretapping without a warrant. In the incoming Congress, Democrats can then pass a bill which both defends the nation against terrorists and upholds the Constitution and America's basic liberties.
--Do not allow Bush's energy plan to pass, particularly those portions which subsidize oil companies. In the new Congress Democrats can then focus on a serious program to move America towards energy independence and prevent global warming.
--Strip away earmarks from the spending bills which need to be passed, demonstrating Democrat's determination to stop political corruption, reduce the deficit and use the taxpayers' money responsibly.
--Use the hearings on Robert Gates appointment as Defense Secretary to highlight Bush administration failures in Iraq, and to explore Gates' history of cherry-picking intelligence to suit political needs.
--Reauthorize the special inspector general's office to monitor US spending on Iraq reconstruction.
Then as soon as the new Congress opens for business in January, the Democrats need to sprint out of the gate. For the very beginning, Speaker Pelosi's 100 hour program is a good place to start.
--Raise the minimum wage.
--Cut the interest on student loans in half.
--Allow the government to negotiate directly with pharmaceutical companies to lower Medicare drug prices, possibly saving enough to eliminate the so-call "donut hole".
--broaden the type of stem-cell research financed by the federal government.
--clean up Congress and break the link between special interest lobbyists and legislation.
Imagine how the momentum will shift to the Democrats if, by the end of their first week or two in power, the Democrats manage to accomplish almost all of this agenda. These measures are widely supported by both the progressive and "centrist" wings of the Democratic Party and will be popular among the American people. The Democrats can afford to dare senate Republicans to filibuster these programs or Bush to veto them.
That picks off the lowest hanging fruit, but there's much more a Democratic
Congress can accomplish in its first term.
--Pass an Apollo type energy program to make America substantially energy independent within a decade, address global warming, and create tens of thousands of high quality jobs.
--Take the first steps towards national health care. Make everyone eligible to buy into the Medicare program and provide financial assistance to those who cannot afford the full premiums.
--Repeal Bush's tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans
--Pass a wiretapping bill that will allow law-enforcement to listen in when necessary to terrorists who wish to harm bus, but will not infringe on the constitutional the liberties of theAmerican peoplle--require the government to get a warrant from a special court and in exceptional cases, allow the wire-tapping to begin immediately but require the government to get a warrant within a few days.
--Restore the full right of habeas corpus.
--Stop the construction of permanent military bases in Iraq.
--Block the nomination of right wing judges.
--Reform federal election law to require that electronic voting machines provide paper back-up which can be used for audits and recounts.
Again, most Democrats, progressive or "centrist", can support such measures and a large-part of the electorate will respect the Democrat's boldness and gain positive reasons to back Democrats in 2008. The Democrats need to create the pressure on Republicans in the Senate not to filibuster such measures and on Bush not to veto them. If the Republicans and Bush do, Democrats have a large part of their program to run on in '08.
Finally there is the questions of Congressional investigations of the Bush administration's misdeeds, including the dishonest use of pre-war intelligence, war profiteering, Cheney's energy task force, the handling of Hurricane Katrina and the appointment of industry lobbyists to head government regulatory agencies. Already, there are some in the mainstream media who are pressing Democrats to forego such investigations on the grounds that they will turn off mainstream America. If carried out responsibly, nothing could be further from the truth. Americans want the light to shine into to the deepest recesses of government. Such investigations are the right thing to do and they will only strengthen Democrat's chances in '08, particularly when coupled with passage of the type of progressive legislation suggested above.
This blog is running long so I will leave Iraq and national security for another blog. The only thing I do want to say is that Democrats must decide what their goal is in Iraq. Is it simply to change tactics in the hope of achieving "victory" (i.e. a stable, secular, unified, democratic and free market capitalist Iraq)? Or is it to admit "victory" cannot be achieved and the goal is to find a rapid way out of Iraq which will leave the least possible damage behind?
In any case, if Democrats act like they have a mandate, they can move quickly to pass important legislation, undo some of the damage of the last six years, move the country in a progressive direction, and reinforce the support of the poor and middle class for the '08 elections.
posted by verifi at 8:06 AM
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