Monday, December 06, 2004
An Indecent Proposal
...to paraphrase Jonathan Swift. Listening to Morning Edition as I prepared my kids for pre-school I started thinking about Democrats and how they should be performing, what they might do to insure seats in 2006/2008. In my mind, Intelligence Reform should be a slam-dunk in post-9/11 America. Yeah, I know most of the opposition has been coming from Republicans... but how gung-ho are the Democrats?
Will Democrats roll over the next two years and allow the illusion of a "mandate" dominate legislation in the House and Senate? Would giving Republicans free reign to completely screw up the country set the stage for voter backlash?
My last post yesterday about how Bush and the Republicans intend to gut environmental protections had me ripping-my-shirt pissed-off and wondering why they would even consider scrapping regulations that a majority of Americans support. It would be easy enough to position a full-body slam at the Republicans:
Yet, I see Democrats kneeling down on this even if most Americans would oppose it. Why would they do that? So that they can gain seats a few years down the road?
It's not like Democrats have shown themselves to be strategic geniuses but this isn't a plan of strategic genius. Nor is it a plan that requires a far-reaching conspiracy. A few well-placed abscences or abstentions and the Republicans can shit all over the country, do it well enough to show voters what a mistake it was to elect House and Senate Republicans.
I hope I'm just riffing here, I really do...
Will Democrats roll over the next two years and allow the illusion of a "mandate" dominate legislation in the House and Senate? Would giving Republicans free reign to completely screw up the country set the stage for voter backlash?
My last post yesterday about how Bush and the Republicans intend to gut environmental protections had me ripping-my-shirt pissed-off and wondering why they would even consider scrapping regulations that a majority of Americans support. It would be easy enough to position a full-body slam at the Republicans:
It's YOUR country.
YOUR air and YOUR water.
President Bush and the Republicans are trying to give your country to Big Business so that they can spoil the water you drink, foul the air you breath, and create an environmental disaster that your children and your grandchildren will be left to clean up. Do you want Big Business to ruin America for your children?
Tell your representative that this country belongs to us, not Big Business.
Yet, I see Democrats kneeling down on this even if most Americans would oppose it. Why would they do that? So that they can gain seats a few years down the road?
It's not like Democrats have shown themselves to be strategic geniuses but this isn't a plan of strategic genius. Nor is it a plan that requires a far-reaching conspiracy. A few well-placed abscences or abstentions and the Republicans can shit all over the country, do it well enough to show voters what a mistake it was to elect House and Senate Republicans.
I hope I'm just riffing here, I really do...
