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Bring On the Rebels

By William Greider, The Nation. Posted December 27, 2005.


Challenges from within by a few insurgent Democrats may be the only way to save the party from the ineffective big-money beast it's become.
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The political news from Connecticut did not seem earth-shaking on its face, but the New York Times and the Washington Post were both sufficiently alarmed to put the story on page one. Some upstart citizens are talking about challenging their warrior senator, Joe Lieberman, by running an antiwar candidate against him next fall. The Wall Street Journal went ballistic. Its hysterical editorial denounced the "liberal animosity" toward Wall Street's favorite Democrat.

Possibly, this rump-group assault on the established order will come to nothing, just another angry rant from frustrated Democrats. But it could be the start of something big -- a David-and-Goliath challenge that encourages other nascent insurgencies around the country. Rebellion can be fun -- who doesn't enjoy upsetting the mainstream media? -- but in these dispiriting times it is also good for one's mental health. Even better, rebellion could revive the Democratic Party.

Intraparty challenges are one of the most effective ways to get the attention of risk-averse politicians and force them to change their thinking. Even if the targeted politicians are not defeated, they hate intrusions from meddlesome citizens messing with their job-for-life security. And nothing upsets members of Congress like seeing a few of their colleagues abruptly taken down by outsiders with supposedly marginal issues the Washington Club didn't take seriously. Incumbents will do quite a lot to avoid the same fate.

With persistence and strong convictions, insurgents can change a political party. Witness the right's slow-motion crusade to conquer and transform the Republican Party. Thirty years ago right-wing activists regularly mounted hopeless challenges to the GOP establishment -- including Richard Nixon -- and usually lost. They were called "ankle biters" in those days. Today, they are running the party. The right continues to use this tactic to threaten and punish wayward incumbents. The Wall Street-financed Club for Growth ran a right-wing primary opponent against Senator Arlen Specter of Pennsylvania in 2004, and it is doing the same thing to Senator Lincoln Chafee of Rhode Island in 2006. New York Times columnist David Brooks astutely observed: "When conservatism was a movement of ideas, it attracted oddballs; now that it's a movement with power, it attracts sleazeballs."

The Democratic Party is never going to change substantively and again become a reform party with a serious agenda until some of its blood is spilled in the same fashion. For years, incumbent Dems have distanced themselves from fundamental convictions, confident the party's "base" wouldn't do anything about it beyond whimpering. Until now, the cynicism was well founded. Galvanized by the war, disgusted with weak-spined party leaders, the rank-and-file may at last be ready to bite back.

The fuse was lit for Lieberman a few weeks ago, when MoveOn.org let it be known that the web-savvy organization will support a challenger if that's what its Connecticut members decide to do. "Our first allegiance is to our members," explains Tom Matzzie, MoveOn's Washington director, "and they are just as frustrated with the Democrats as anybody else. So they've given us the charge to change the Dems, and we're taking that very seriously." Politicians and media learned to respect MoveOn in 2004, when it proved its ability to organize people and money.

The center-right senator, meanwhile, is practically taunting the party's loyal voters with his extreme embrace of Bush and Bush's misbegotten war. "What a colossal mistake it would be," Lieberman lamented recently, "for America's bipartisan political leadership to choose this moment in history to lose its will." Party leaders in D.C. -- Harry Reid, Nancy Pelosi and Howard Dean -- all took shots at him. Rumors started that Lieberman must be fishing for a job in Bush's Cabinet.

A showdown in Connecticut -- rank-and-file voters versus the big money bankrolling the party -- would provide a fabulous test case, sure to attract maximum funding from Lieberman's patrons in business and finance. The prospects for denying him the party nomination in the primary look encouraging, Matzzie says, citing private polling he won't discuss. Voters are bitter about Iraq but also about Lieberman's toadying to corporate interests. If the senator gets past the 2006 primary, he would still be deeply wounded and vulnerable for the general election. It's too early to know whether a viable Democratic challenger will emerge, but the search is on. Lowell Weicker, the much admired former governor and senator, has proclaimed that if nobody else of stature will take on Lieberman, he will do it in the general election as an independent. Weicker, a maverick and liberal Republican, has the stature to pull it off, though a three-way race might backfire by splitting the anti-Lieberman vote.


Digg!

William Greider is the author of, most recently, "The Soul of Capitalism" (Simon & Schuster).

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Time to go, Joe!
Posted by: oldgringo on Dec 27, 2005 3:33 AM   
Current rating: Not yet rated    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
Yeah, verily! It IS time for the rank and file to rise up and take control of the party away from the "fellow traveling" big money elitists who are not in opposition to the status quo in D.C. and else where.
Lieberman should be the first to follow Zell Miller into the oblivion of line crossing has beens.

[« Reply to this comment] [Post a new comment »] [Rate this comment: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5]

» RE: Time to go, Joe! Posted by: Lincoln fan
» RE: Time to go, Joe! Posted by: Basenjis
» RE: Time to go, Joe! Posted by: bobjinfl
» RE: Time to go, Joe! Posted by: doombilly
may..God Bless(grassroots)America!!
Posted by: starvinmarvy on Dec 27, 2005 4:09 AM   
Current rating: Not yet rated    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
Thanks Mr.Greider for your artical! Although these imbedded
incombants will be almost impossible to remove...it`s good to know that there are people like"MoveOn" working for the
good of grassroots America. We the people..are in "dire straights"...to say the least.We need more people with your journalistic talents and political conviction to perhaps maybe
...just maybe...with progressive media hammering relentlessly
...maybe.....we can change the direction...this downward spiraling,outta control powerbase running our country!!
May God Bless Grassroots America!!!!!

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Leiberman represents everything that is wrong with the Dem Party!
Posted by: Pepper on Dec 27, 2005 4:34 AM   
Current rating: Not yet rated    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
I couldn't think of a better fellow to kick out than this one. By golly, he acts like a blank slate when it comes to having a moral core. I lament, "Is there no one with integrity who will run and represent his people"???????

That is what I would love to see once again. Public servants and statesmen running for office. What a glorious return to an earlier time.

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Change the system, not the party
Posted by: Lincoln fan on Dec 27, 2005 5:08 AM   
Current rating: Not yet rated    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
"With persistence and strong convictions, insurgents can change a political party.

With the same persistance and convivction we can change the system. The system is wrong because both parties are controlled by big money and not the voters. The average citizen is not represented by either party. Voters should not vote for candidates or parties but issues. If every voter chose one issue to decide his vote and told both parties that he wouldn't vote for any candidate that didn't support his view on that issue, both parties would scramble to support the most popular issues. These issues would be settled before the election. A vote only has power before it's cast. Now is the time to use its power. Click on Taxation without representation is Tyranny

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Oh Please...
Posted by: AlanSmithee on Dec 27, 2005 5:17 AM   
Current rating: Not yet rated    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
This is a whole lot of hoo-ha over a few weak primary challanges. Lowell Weicker would be a worthy candidate as an independent and might even stand a chance of beating Lieberman, but the rest are little more than a sop to get the spineless democrat left to stay in the fold.

And as for MoveOn's usually waffling, they're about as useful as lips on a brick. If it weren't for the money they shovel at Dean and his faux-liberal DNC, MoveOn would be told to move on in no uncertain terms.

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» RE: Oh Please... Posted by: Lincoln fan
A Thousand Flowers Indeed!
Posted by: jefhadist on Dec 27, 2005 5:23 AM   
Current rating: Not yet rated    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
Greider always seems to make so much more sense than your typical run 'o the mill pundit. I love the way he recaptures the word "insurgency," don't you? Where do we sign up? PDA and MoveOn have some of the right ideas and we absolutely do have the creativity to run circles around the old shopworn tactics of mainstream politics. But will we? We need a miracle every day which means working together and forging connections between the evils of corporatocracy, militarism, poverty, etc. Education based on facts is the key and we need to employ every pedagogical trick in the book to recapture the imagination of the people. Democracy can be infectious and we sure need a healthy dose of that now. Let a thousand flowers bloom indeed!

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» RE: A Thousand Flowers Indeed! Posted by: Lincoln fan
YES...system MUST be changed
Posted by: comm97 on Dec 27, 2005 5:29 AM   
Current rating: Not yet rated    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
I agree. The system is rotten to the core. Reform a party that is led by the status quo? Impossible. Pro war, owned by the rich, and a reflection of their values.
Grieder and the Nation so much want to reform this system that brought us Katrina, Iraq and the values that this system reflects.
The problem is the economy, stupid. Elimination of human labor, the race to the bottom of the wage ladder. Just look at your bank balance. Are your kids going to be better off than you are struggling check to check? Where are the jobs? Yea, in fast food. Build the Labor Party. It is YOUR party!
Michael

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» RE: YES...system MUST be changed Posted by: Lincoln fan
If only!
Posted by: guijackb on Dec 27, 2005 6:12 AM   
Current rating: Not yet rated    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
If you're right, and a few rebels do step up and save the Democratic party from the likes of the DLC, they should be given equal space with the Founding Fathers in future history books.
As Thom Hartmann points out in a few of his books, the first American rebels were really rioting over a corrupt monarchy in league with the largest company of their time, the East India Tea company.
The profits and influence earned by that endeavor had corrupted the British government to the point that it shunned its duties to its subjects, and went hell bent for leather into league with the big $.
The DLC is the ogre in today's mix, the Tory in the Democratic party's ranks.

Thanks for brightening the day!

Jack Ballinger

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» RE: If only! Posted by: Lincoln fan
still green?
Posted by: mwillse on Dec 27, 2005 6:25 AM   
Current rating: Not yet rated    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
Invest instead in our ideals, not in the hope that we can transform the behemoth. Forget the party, its stagnation and misrepresentation. Why waste resources trying to fix something that's systemically broken? Why misplace our faith in a flat name and our memory of its former role? What are we holding on to? We can build sustainable change through the Green Party, Working Families, etc., or we can continue to struggle for a quick fix every four years, doom ourselves for decades of frustration. Which option is better for our children? Our grandchildren?

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» RE: still green? Posted by: Lincoln fan
» RE: still green? Posted by: liberalibrarian
» RE: still green? Posted by: Andie927
mike
Posted by: bayway35 on Dec 27, 2005 7:03 AM   
Current rating: Not yet rated    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
Please study the whole history of the Democratic Party...I was appalled...I believe that we need three strong parties of the people... to vote for etc...Happy New Year !!!

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» RE: mike Posted by: Basenjis
» RE: mike Posted by: Andie927
Make a change for the better
Posted by: jeffrey7 on Dec 27, 2005 7:17 AM   
Current rating: Not yet rated    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
PLATFORM of the People Over Tyrants Party O/K/A The P.O.T. Party

Because of the current trends in National and Foreign Policy and the many and varied forms of tyranny our people are being exposed to,we have formed from the People, a Party, that is For the People. This is our
vision of how we get the Country back for the People,restore our Liberty,Freedom,and Peace,here and now.
NO MORE WARS.
This country has 'made' the enemies we now face through corrupt policy in the name of 'Profits'.
We cease all weapons sales,development and deployment.
Close all bases on foriegn soils,begin TOTAL DISARMAMENT with pacts of Non- Aggression.
END ALL BLACK PROJECTS FUNDING. Disband the C.I.A., Homeland Security,and the DEA.
All monies would be 'redirected' to Free Education for ALL People, K- Grad School.
PROTECT THE EARTH
Restore the 'Roadless' Laws in perpituity.Ban clear cut forestry operations. End logging in National Forests. 1,000 year moritorium on mining. Restore the Great Lakes and rivers.
Force Industry to be 'inert' environmentally, Force Auto Industry to make High Mileage Hybred cars and trucks.EXTREME CONTROLS on pesticides and fretilizers and emmissions.
Heavy reliance on Solar,Wind, Hydro Generation, Hemp and other Biomass fuels for charcoal.
STOP DRILLING IN THE ANWR. Force Oil Companies to RESTORE IMPACTED AREAS.
PUT THE MONEY BACK IN THE PEOPLE'S HANDS
Freeze all Transportation Fuels and Utility prices for ten years. Extendable if deemed so by the People.
END COMPOUND INTREST RATES on loans,mortgages and small business loans.
FORGIVE ALL DEBTS. End Property Tax on ALL VETERAN'S personal homes.
CUT DEFENSE 60%, fund FULL HEALTHCARE and ENVIRONMENTAL CLEANUP
Non Deductable/Refundable 90% TAX The WEALTHIEST PEOPLE and BUSINESSES.
Make SOCIAL SECURITY ALWAYS FUNDED
GIVE food stamps to all Low Imcome Families.
RESTORE POWER TO THE PEOPLE
PARDON ALL VICTIMLESS,NON-VIOLENT OFFENDERS.
PARDON ALL POLITICAL PRISONERS
MAKE NATURAL DRUGS LEGAL, MAKE MANUFACTURED DRUGS PERSCRIPTIONABLE.
EXPAND THE BILL of RIGHTS PROTECTION TO INCLUDE MARANDA RIGHTS
END WARRANTLESS SEARCHES,DOMESTIC SPYING ON CITIZENS
GUARANTEE THAT PEOPLE CAN DO WITH THEIR BODIES WHATEVER THEY DEEM RIGHT
ALL UNION WORKER'S RIGHTS WOULD BE PROTECTED BY THE GOVT.

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» RE: Make a change for the better Posted by: leemiller38
In regards to the Platform
Posted by: Freedom84 on Dec 27, 2005 7:55 AM   
Current rating: Not yet rated    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
This comment for a proposed party platform really caught my attention I pretty much agree with every aspect of this platform, Lately I have seen this countyr fall to pieces, the Opposition party has been weak and powerless, and there needs to be a major reform, either via the addition of a new part, or a complete reorgainization of the Democrat Party to provide a true opposition, there is no true so called left in this Country, both parties are controlled by Corporations, and the so called opposition is completely spineless. I have recently thought about platforms and have intentions of perhaps introducing such a party, and the ideas sound good off course the difficult part is brining people into the fold and carrying out the idea, but establishing a true platform is the first step,
but I do wonder if this is a serious thought into establishing a party or jsut a pipe dream?

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» RE: In regards to the Platform,we're damn serious Posted by: Againstthewindwalking
mo element
Posted by: mo on Dec 27, 2005 8:23 AM   
Current rating: Not yet rated    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
i certainly hope the dems are serious
because they have LOST my vote years ago
in 2000. i don't want to hear about "being there
for my party" because they have NOT been there for us.
many of us would rather "waste" our vote in protest
and vote on a third party candidate rather than
try to hold down our lunch while we swim
with the gutless wonders in the party i once loved.

Please ! STOP saying republicans are evil
and START embracing the load bearing planks that
Kucinich and others have in their platforms.

Mr. Dean, stop pointing your finger and calling
republicans bad and promote the ideas and ideals
of the opposition within your own party.

and PLEASE let go of non issues like obesity and
global warming to push for real election reform.

why did you not vote to bring the troops home immdiately?

mo element

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» RE: mo element Posted by: radagast_23
» RE: mo element 2 Posted by: radagast_23
» RE: mo element 3 Posted by: radagast_23
» RE: mo element Posted by: Lincoln fan
» RE: mo element Posted by: Andie927
Progressives are their own worst enemies
Posted by: robchapman on Dec 27, 2005 8:59 AM   
Current rating: Not yet rated    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
Thanks and holiday greetings to Mr. Greider and all the other readers.

As much as I sympathize with the Democratic rank and file frustration with the party leadership's weak stands on the Iraqi Invasion, it pains me to see how the progressive activists' quest for idealogical purity outweighs their interest in allowing the the majority anong the voters, ie, the Progressives, the ability to become the majority in our state and federal legislatures and to govern.

The American system of representation is designed to favor the conservative elements. The senate and the sparsely populated states' electoral clout result from this.

Thousands of Republicans elected at the county and municipal level in suburban and rural America provide the GOP with a cadre of workers paid by the taxpayers. Many of them are elected from counties that vote GOP in landslide proportions. We Progressives can challenge the GOP in these counties if we talk to the voters about our issues in their language. All too often they agree us but are put off by our manner, our purity and our rigidity.

Until the progressives wake up to local and state politics and start electing suburban and rural officials who are at least sympathetic to their ideas the GOP will retain its choke-hold on power in this country.

Progressives need to get active and support acceptable candidates in the local, county and state races in the cities, suburbs and rural areas. These are races that most activists can decisively affect with their own personal involvement. The networks and the webs of voters interested in Progressive issues can be grown exponentially if we get involved in races at this level.

When the built-in conservative/GOP rural advantage starts getting shaved away the Dems will act a lot better and the GOP will be more respectful to us Progressives.

Robert Chapman
Lansing, New York

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In a de facto one-party state...
Posted by: philslade on Dec 27, 2005 9:07 AM   
Current rating: Not yet rated    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
...would it not make more sense to invade the Repubican party and vote in all its primaries to eliminate the extremists currently in office?

Crossover Democrats could still vote for insurgent Democratic candidates in the congressional elections, while moderate Republican and Independent voters would be given moderate Republican candidates to vote for.

No other approach can yield greater benefits, in a shorter time, and at a lower cost, than this one.

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Just a pipe dream
Posted by: robchapman on Dec 27, 2005 9:08 AM   
Current rating: Not yet rated    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
Dear sir;
I read your recent letter to alt net with great interest.
I teach political science at the Community College level and one of our units covers the party structure.
I always ask my students what they think a three or four party political structure would look like in America.
They find the idea engaging and most of the time put good work and thought into it, but so far they have always come back to the Dem-Rep duopoly. Interestingly enough, because the two established parties have predictable "brand" characteristics and because they have established cadres of activists.
I advise students and I will suggest to you that you get involved at the local level. One student is considering law school and potentially a political career, and another is preparing a run for justice of the peace.
People, not parties are what are important in politics.

Write back to me if you want at pach12@twcny.rr.com

Robert Chapman
Lansing, New York

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» RE: Just a pipe dream Posted by: Roverton
» RE: Just a pipe dream Posted by: Lincoln fan
» RE: Just a pipe dream Posted by: YogiBear
Stop putting the cart before the horse
Posted by: deha on Dec 27, 2005 9:47 AM   
Current rating: Not yet rated    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
A viable third party sounds great, but the modifier "viable" is the catch. As we've seen (to our nation's great detriment), the third party functions as little more than a spoiler in the electoral process and a sop to the consciences of voters who (rightly) cannot stomach either the dems or the repubs.

I can recite the litany of the dem party' shortcomings as well as anyone, and I agree that radical change is essential or America is lost. The most fundamental change I envision is a more concentrated effort to educate the electorate.

However, I am not just talking educating adult voters on the issues, though we all know how miserably the dem party fails on that count. I am talking about educating FUTURE voters: our children.

I teach mostly incoming freshmen at redstateland's largest state university. The vast majority of these kids suffer from two serious impediments to their intellectual and ethical development: the belief that they are living in the best of all possible worlds, and that nothing they do affects anyone else. We fondly call this the "only person on the planet syndrome."

These kids have never been taught to consider themselves as part of a whole, as citizens not only of the US, but as citizens of the world. No one has ever shown them how each individual action has some consequence in the "real" world, often affecting people they'll never see. And even though most of them are frequent and fervent churchgoers, they have no idea what "brother's keeper" or any of that other liberal stuff spouted by Jesus actually means.

Not that the kids are to blame; hell, we all know their parents aren't any better. But then again, they are also products of the same educational system that force-feeds kids dates in the guise of history and allows generations to grow up completely ignorant of their nation's true role in the world. These abysmal depths of ignorance, coupled with the GOP's massive propaganda machine, are sounding what may well be the death-knell of America and her ideals.

So all of those interesting ideas being discussed above will remain just that until our educational system is reformed and enough Americans really understand our political and social history. Teach your children well, the song says. It's the only thing that will save us.

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Liberman's United Technologies' bitch
Posted by: sausage on Dec 27, 2005 9:57 AM   
Current rating: Not yet rated    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
Joe and the entire Connecticut Congressional delegation are in the hip-pocket of this major Penatgon contractor.

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rover
Posted by: Roverton on Dec 27, 2005 10:08 AM   
Current rating: Not yet rated    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
If I were a Corp-O-Con with a load of influence, I'd install Joe Leiberman in my opponent's camp. But I'm not...

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clinker
Posted by: cottontail on Dec 27, 2005 10:08 AM   
Current rating: Not yet rated    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
. Party, schmarty! What the hell's the difference? Both parties are controlled by corporate America. And as the rich get much richer there's no chance they will relinquish control of this cozy arrangement. The dumbed-down electorate, living vicariously through the medium of television, cannot be expected to wake up and throw out scumbags like Joe Liebermann. The reality is that ordinary working people are screwed and will continue to be screwed regardless of which of the two major parties is in power. We desperately need a third party but until enough people are hurting and decide to get involved in this "democracy" nothing will change and will likely get worse. The almost total control of the mass media by folks who support Bush and the GOP agenda assure us of many more years of increased financial insecurity, social polarization, and endless war. When the American people decide (if ever) that the amount the U.S. spends on the military is as much as the rest of the world combined is obscene and unacceptable, perhaps they will look away from Desperate Housewives and commence doing their civic duty.

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» RE: clinker Posted by: Roverton
» RE: clinker Posted by: YogiBear
clinker
Posted by: cottontail on Dec 27, 2005 10:20 AM   
Current rating: Not yet rated    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
Roverton:
You're right. But it's hard to plod on without any hope.

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» RE: clinker Posted by: Roverton
» RE: clinker Posted by: Roverton
» RE: clinker Posted by: cacky
Hope is an illusion...?
Posted by: Llama11 on Dec 27, 2005 11:14 AM   
Current rating: Not yet rated    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
c'mon kids, do we really think things will ever change? history remembers the powerful and the violent (exceptions being ghandi and mlk, but would they be happy with the state of affairs today?). when you will not do what the other man will, you lose. these people are power hungry and likely lost their idealism long ago, much the same way i'm losing it now. better be careful though, maybe one day i'll run for office and my comments on this site will be used against me.

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Proud to be an insurgent
Posted by: Monde on Dec 27, 2005 3:51 PM   
Current rating: Not yet rated    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
Kucinich once called his campaign an insurgency. I think he never got far because of his last name. I kid you not; it took me forever to learn how to pronounce it and I CARE; imagine what people who aren't involved would do. Note our presidents almost always have one or two syllable names and always without any ambiguities in pronunciation.

I once had a neocon who was having a flamefest with me sign me up for all sorts of neocon mailing lists including one from the AFA (American Family Association). I dropped off most of them but stayed on that one and several others - it shows me what they are up to.

What they have done was take that slogan of ours, Think Globally, Act Locally, and run with it.

Another thing thay did was encourage as much voter apathy in their opposition (us) as possible. When I found out about this I made up my mind to continue to participate in elections and campaigns even though there's been so much fraud lately, because if I don't vote, it DEFINITELY won't get counted, if I do, it MIGHT not.

I have been writing to the Green and Libertarian parties again and again and encouraging them to lay aside their differences and join together. That hasn't gone anywhere so far.

I only wish the Dems weren't running with Hillary, who may be a woman but it's a woman like Dianne Feinstein, a DINO if there ever was one.

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First Do Harm To These Political Parties
Posted by: mrsmagoo on Dec 27, 2005 4:38 PM   
Current rating: Not yet rated    [1 = poor; 5 = excellent]
A lot of bloodletting is in order indeed on both sides of the political spectrum. Take the MONEY out of politics (yes, you Mr. & Ms. Corporate America) and let elections become what they once were long ago - for the people! Nothing changes if nothing changes. We will continue to get the same old Lieberman's and same old Bush's if we stand back and wait for someone else to shake things up. Our electoral process must be monitored (and NOT by OUR legal eagles!) and deemed fair. I do not trust those computerized voting machines and until a hard copy of who I voted for comes out of one of those will I even begin to slightly trust the outcome...So count me in on some bloodletting. Our country needs us more than ever.

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The root of evil
Posted by: Edward George on Dec 27, 2005 4:59 PM   
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I have no quarrel with what this says but but do with what it does NOT say. If we set aside the few loud religious nuts so useful to the global money men, just what philosophy are we opposing? Isn't it the belief system that Ayn Rand stole from Adam Smith and reformulated in a florid and virulent fashion? Here are two quotes from Ms Rand:

"My philosophy, in essence, is the concept of man as a heroic being, with his own happiness as the moral purpose of his life ---"

"And now I see the face of god, and I raise this god over the earth, this god whom men have sought since man came into being, this god who will grant them joy and peace and pride.
This god, this one word:
'I'"

Does this not provide the perfect excuse for the big rich man's lying and stealing from the meek and the poor and from future generations? What better way to honor and worship your god?

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» RE: The root of evil Posted by: cacky
» RE: The root of evil Posted by: Edward George
Bring On The Rebels
Posted by: darby1936 on Dec 27, 2005 8:28 PM   
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Its hard to see how the Democratic hawks believe this phony war even helps Isreal. We have delivered Iraq into the hands of Iran and no Muslim country in the world thinks our policy in the Middle East is just or has made that part of the world safer. Bush has been a catasrophe.

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Bring On The Rebels
Posted by: darby1936 on Dec 27, 2005 8:32 PM   
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Its hard to see how the Democratic hawks believe this phony war even helps Isreal. We have delivered Iraq into the hands of Iran and no Muslim country in the world thinks our policy in the Middle East is just or has made that part of the world safer. Bush has been a catastrophe.

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Weicker Excellent Alternative- IF He Runs as Dem
Posted by: mkham on Dec 27, 2005 11:10 PM   
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Lowell Weicker is maybe the most appealing guy in politics, with a spirited independence, iron integrity, and contempt for sham (though pretty old now); but the only way he should be supported is if he runs as a Dem. The corrupt cabal of Republicans are still so unified (as evidenced by the $50 mil cuts to the poor) that an Independent wouldn't help the Dems regain control of Congress- essential if America is to be saved.

I panned Lieberman back in 2000, when I thought that his blast against Clinton's "immorality" nearly caused Impeachent and Removal to suceed. When the Gore ticket ignored Clinton's economic accomplishments, they were throwing away their strongest suit.

Michael Hammerschlag
http://hammernews.com

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the fallacy of conservatism = Republicanism
Posted by: vespasian01 on Dec 28, 2005 3:09 AM   
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RC, I've enjoyed some of your well thought-out posts but you seem to have fallen into the same semantic trap that most have: that the Republican Party has anything, even remotely, to do with conservatism. Conservatism, generally, is best typified by the Cato Instit. people, though there are some GOP plants who pop-up occasionally, like the pimple on Prom night.
Conservatism, as sponged up verbally by W, by Limbaugh, Delay, and so on, is only a ploy by elitist moneychangers who have found a hot-button word, "Conservative," which the voters and even Progressives, have fallen for. The actual Conservative is Dwight Eisenhower warning Americans to protect themselves from the coming cabal of powerful financial interests. Conservative is Bill Clinton wiping out our national debt. Conservative, though flawed, is having a world-view based on history, like GW Bush Senior. Conservative is not living on a charge card. Conservative is witholding a refined US military might for emergencies critical to the nation and its allies, where there is consonance with reality. Conservative is bringing pride and prosperity to the American people via hard work and competence; and allowing a better world to evolve through non-interference. Conservative is prosecuting corporate profiteers and raiders. And Conservative is sending to Federal prison any politician, at any level, who commits fraud against the American people and their Constitution.

If this simple lesson of history is not expressed forcrfully to voters, the GOP bullshit-spouting machine will continue to dominate.

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Republican light
Posted by: Hosse on Dec 28, 2005 9:54 AM   
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The Democratic Party has got to stop playing at being "Republican light" and get back to its base. I strongly suspect that's why so many Americans consider themselves independent. Neither major political party represents the interests of working America. Here in Kentucky, the Democratic party leadership (which we call the "good ole boys") is generally considered to be as conservative, and in some cases, more conservative than the state GOP. If it takes an internal coup, so be it. Sign me up!

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» RE: epublican light Posted by: Lincoln fan
The problem is the electoral system
Posted by: BerkeleyBernie on Dec 28, 2005 12:18 PM   
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As long as we have winner-take-all elections, political dialogue is going to be narrow center-right oriented and any true progressive thought will be marginalized. The only way to get progressive thought prominently into the mainstream is to change the electoral systems, not through prolonging the corporate Dem/Rep Awful/Worse monopoly. These changes are already being seen on local levels with systems like Ranked Choice Voting (a.k.a. Instant Runoff Voting) recently implemented in San Francisco. We need to continue to change the electoral system locally and quickly move on to state houses, and eventually national reform. Eventually we should move to PR (Proportional Representation), the preferred democratic electoral system of every democracy that has come after us in the last 200 years.

To get there, I'm all for putting the Democratic Party out of commission. It's entirely ineffective, and continues to pursue its failed strategy of moving to the right (and moving the country to the right with it). It will continue this course because the money keeps coming in, and the hacks still have jobs. It will only change if we progressives kill it, by making it impossible to elect Democrats.

1. Create electoral reform, starting with RCV/IRV.
2. Run 3rd party candidates in all races and vote 3rd party; don't let Dems win.

The faster we kill the Dems, the faster electoral reforms will emerge. Dems are against opening the electoral process, because they still control it with the Repubs. They don't want progressive voices.

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AndieGee, Viable Third Party?
Posted by: Andie927 on Dec 28, 2005 12:33 PM   
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Sorry I'm late getting into this discussion, but I've been writting to many Progressive groups, including Move-On, explaining my frustrations with trying to work within the Dem. Party, and how 'they' the Insider/Elitists (DEC) of the party don't want Outsiders, and won't work with any grassroots organizations!

I've been trying to promote a viable third party, that will really represent "We the People", maybe a combination of Green/Indep./Progressives (GIP).

If there's ever been a time in history, that makes the cae for it, it's now. Obviously our two party system ISN'T working

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» RE: AndieGee, Viable Third Party? Posted by: Lincoln fan
Little Illinois
Posted by: LittleIllinois on Dec 28, 2005 3:09 PM   
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My lifelong association with the Dem. Party, like my Catholicism, was acquired at birth. My Democratic icons remain strong in history: Paul Douglas, Harry Truman, Franklin D. Roosevelt, Adlai Stevenson: these few top my list. The Dem. Party itself has fallen from view. The Democrat's agenda lies fallow and pointless beneath its burden of me-too-ing the Republicans. Reliance on television sound-bite-size analyses of calamitous issues besetting our country is at best, irresponsible. Thank God for Gen. Murtha, USMC (Ret), Thank God for Gen. Smedley Butler USMC (Dec.)who first warned of this very calamity 70 years ago. Most Democrats in Congress are but bobbing heads. Not one of them, including our last President, has exposed the evil intent at the center of the Republican agenda. Clinton was offered a role in the Project for the New American Century (PNAC)in 1997 but he turned it down, without exposing his knowledge of the document and its creators' purposes. Duplicity? Becoming ever more Republican, Clinton all but pardoned those involved in the Iran-Contra scandal, then, currying favor, adopted the Republican agenda for the remainder of his stay; moving his party closer to "center", wherever in Hell that is. Wake up! The central issue facing us is this: the PNAC's bold and baldfaced scheme is nothing less than total destruction of our democracy. While we scheme to outguess them in THEIR WAR, making it our war, they sit around the White House, getting drunk over our naivte. They have placed themselves above the law. Come on, folks! Seeking impeachable offenses based on Their War is folly. Simply put, Iraq is the PNAC's stalking horse. 9/11 likewise. While ready-made, impeachable, treasonous offenses began at the first swearing-in charade: Bush and Cheney, hands on a bible, swore: "to uphold and defend the Constitution of the United States of America." The treasonous bastards have since called our Constitution "nothing but a God Damned piece of paper." Every line in the PNAC foments treason. When will we liberals stand and be counted? When will we rise up to speak truth, damning the consequences? Sen. Douglas enlisted in the USMC in 1942 at the age of 52 as a Private in boot camp alongside 18, 19, 20-year-olds. In combat he to the rank of Colonel. Unlike everyone in the White House, Sen./Col. Douglas put his life on the line for his country w/millions of others defending our Constitution. Will democracy end w/a "bang or a whimper"? --Little Illinois

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» RE: Little Illinois Posted by: Lincoln fan
» RE: Little Illinois Posted by: Edward George
jnc
Posted by: jnc306 on Dec 29, 2005 9:24 AM   
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What progressives need is a fund that candidates can draw from. Not many people who would like to run can afford to take off work for a couple years. Also if they loose, will they have a job to go back to? We need to figure all this out. Once we have, we will finance the most ruthless people to go against these lieing repubiclicans. Also this fund will finance media, lawyers, pychologists, former CIA, FBI. We need to investigate their private lives, everything about them. Of course everything has to be done legally. That will handicap us, because they will not. But this will be a start. Then once we regain power, they need to pay!

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Insurgency indeed
Posted by: Monde on Jan 7, 2006 8:27 PM   
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Insurgents don't all carry guns and bombs.

Still, we have to do