Beltway Dems Regurgitate Right-Wing B.S. on Iraq; Grassroots Fights by Dav

[Douglas Carpenter]

by David Sirota--posted by permission of Mr. Sirota

{http://www.huffingtonpost.com/david-sirota/beltway-dems-regurgitate-_b_5990.html}

Beltway Dems Regurgitate Right-Wing B.S. on Iraq; Grassroots Fights
Back

The Philadelphia Inquirer has a great piece today (attached) on how
many of the highest-profile Democrats - other than the courageous
Sen. Russ Feingold (D-WI) - are still unwilling to take a serious
position on the Iraq War. I must say, there are very troubling signs
in the article in terms of Democrats continuing to regurgitate
dishonest right wing lies (a phenomenon our side seems to be prone
to), and continuing to listen to the professional election losers
(aka. "The Consulting Class") and the club of foreign policy elitists
(aka. the "The Strategic Class") in Washington, D.C. But there are
also some very encouraging signals this insulated Beltway
Establishment is being shaken to its core.

First the very bad news. The article notes that the Democratic
Leadership Council (DLC) is once again undermining the Democratic
Party. This time, it has "accused war critics of 'anti-American
bias'" (wonder if that includes Vietnam War hero/Iraq War critic
Republican Senator Chuck Hagel?). This is a pristine example of
self-proclaimed Democrats literally regurgitating the most offensive
and dishonest right-wing spin out there. There is nothing
"anti-American" about wanting to bring our troops home. (Frankly,
it's the other way around: there is something "anti-American soldier"
about wanting to indefinitely leave our troops in a shooting gallery
without an exit strategy, without proper body armor, and without any
semblance of a plan).

The DLC's rhetoric is reminiscent of Attorney General John Ashcroft's
now-famous statement that critics of the Bush administration "only aid
terrorists for they erode our national unity and diminish our
resolve." It is also frighteningly reminiscent of the 9/8/03
Washington Post story that noted Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld
said that "critics of the Bush administration's Iraq policy are
encouraging terrorists and complicating the ongoing U.S. war on
terrorism."

More bad news: the Democratic Party's Senate and House campaign
apparatus is telling Democrats to keep their mouths shut on Iraq, for
fear they will look weak on national security. Most recently, these
pathetic souls desperately tried to divert attention from how the
Iraq War played an instrumental role in Iraq War Veteran Paul
Hackett's congressional race in Ohio. Apparently, the class of
professional election losers in Washington, D.C. thinks Democrats can
win by saying almost nothing on Iraq (like the party often says
nothing on lots of issues, thus perpetuating the perception that
Democrats stand for nothing). As one "Democratic strategist" told the
Inquirer, "Let's not refight the origins of the war, who was right or
wrong. That discussion has run its course." The strategist then said
"Let's keep hitting Bush when he's not being straight with the
people."

That's all well and good - except, it assumes that Americans are
stupid. The fact is, doing what these strategists suggest will
reinforce the idea that Democrats stand for nothing, because refusing
to address the Iraq war is the equivalent of Democrats "not being
straight with people" in the same way Bush isn't being straight with
people. It's the reason why we can drive up Bush and the GOP's
negatives all we want - but that doesn't mean it is going to help us.
The fact is, Democrats will not capitalize on any of this until they
start speaking clearly about where they actually stand on the war,
and whether they actually have the guts to say what polls show most
Americans believe: that the Bush administration deliberately lied to
us about why we were going to war, that the war has made our country
less safe/secure, and that it's time for a serious exit strategy.

Finally, there is some good news: the Inquirer story reminds us that
there is a growing outrage outside the class of professional election
losers in Washington who are starting to flex their political muscle.
That is, the millions of ordinary, hard-working citizens who actually
make up the ranks of the Democratic Party are getting sick and tired
of the split-the-difference politics that has led Democrats to loss
after loss after loss. People like Sen. Russ Feingold (D-WI) and Paul
Hackett are showing that there are talented and effective champions
who are listening to us, and are ready to take up the fight. And
others like top-tier Senate candidate Bob Casey (D-PA) are rejecting
the Iraq advice from the all-too-comfortable consultants in
Washington.

It is up to us to support these and other courageous leaders in their
noble cause, because they are fighting not only for the future of the
Democratic Party, but more importantly, for the future of this
country. Sources: Feingold is first 2008 presidential contender to
stand up on the Iraq War:

{http://www.workingforchange.com/blog/index.cfm?mode=entry&entry=C9EFF8B9-03CF-2B78-309E25814228493A}
Amy Sullivan on the Consulting Class of professional election losers
in D.C.:http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/features/2005/0501.sullivan.html

{http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/features/2005/0501.sullivan.html}
Ari Berman on the Strategic Class of foreign policy elitists:

{http://www.thenation.com/doc.mhtml?i=20050829&s=berman}
Vietnam War Hero/GOP Sen. Chuck Hagel criticizes the Iraq War:

{http://edition.cnn.com/2005/POLITICS/08/18/hagel.iraq/} Bush still
leaving troops without proper body armor in Iraq:

{http://www.iht.com/articles/2005/08/14/news/armor.php} Ashcroft's
famous statement attacking Bush critics as helping terrorists:

{http://archives.cnn.com/2001/US/12/06/inv.ashcroft.hearing/}
Rumsfeld attacks Bush critics as helping terrorists and hurting the
Iraq War effort: http://truthout.org/docs_03/printer_090903I.shtml
{http://truthout.org/docs_03/printer_090903I.shtml} DCCC tries to
divert attention from Iraq War even after the Hackett race:
http://www.workingforchange.com/blog/index.cfm?mode=entry&entry=87810569-E9B0-2C7B-04A934ABE72AE1D2

Poll shows majority of Americans believe Iraq War made us less safe:
majority of Americans want an exit strategy from Iraq:
http://www.usatoday.com/news/washington/2005-06-12-poll_x.htm

Top-tier Senate candidate Bob Casey rejects D.C. advice on Iraq:
http://www.philly.com/mld/inquirer/news/local/states/pennsylvania/12429559.htm

[wli]

1. sounds like the DLC n/t

[Douglas Carpenter]

2. your probably right

but tonight, I am DLC'd out