Dear Howard, I'm writing to say goodbye

[Emillereid]

By Seeya, J. L. Mann

03/07/06 -- --

Howard Dean Chairman Democratic National Committee

Dear Howard,

I'm writing to say goodbye. I'm off to join the Greens or Ralph Nader and the CUIP bunch, even the Libertarians-anybody who'll fight what's going on. It hurts badly, but I just can't stay with you anymore.

I thought I owed you an explanation because of our courtship during the presidential campaign. During that time I detected in you a fair measure of a quality that's been sadly lacking in Democrats for much too long, that being a willingness to grapple with an opposition that's fostering the ascendance of fascism. And wonder of wonders, you seemed willing to combat their effort with as much vigor as Democrats usually approach infighting among themselves. I was elated again when you were made leader of the Party. My hopes were rekindled, even if ever so slightly.

But at a moment in history when the separation of powers and genuine allegiance to a living Constitution were literally on the line in the Alito Supreme Court nomination, Senate Democrats morphed into a collective Neville Chamberlain and chose appeasement at the cost of personal freedom and recognition of the Constitution as a lawful constraint on executive power.

The failure to stave off Alito's nomination will likely prove critical in its acquiescence of real power to the executive branch, a branch of government now dominated by elements willing to implement policies demonstrably akin to some of the worst employed by the enemy during WWII and the Cold War. This loss of power seems likely to be rendered permanent under the authority of recently confirmed Chief Justice Roberts, especially as indicated by his vote in the Oregon Death With Dignity case. .....
http://informationclearinghouse.info/article12240.htm

I have to admit my sentiments run the same way -- except for some local candidates the democratic leadership is MIA.

[OldLeftieLawyer]

1. Amen

I got tired of weak, spineless do-nothings. I'm not even a Democrat anymore. Just an anarchist looking for something to crush.

[hobbit709]

2. "ANARCHISTS UNITE!"

[OldLeftieLawyer]

7. heh heh heh

Yeah, then we'll all go out and scoop up shovelsful of sunshine, eh?

[davidwparker]

3. To be fair to Dean, he has no control over what goes on in Congress.

You should write that letter to Dear Sen. Reid and CC it to Rep. Pelosi.

I understand your sentiment. I'm giving it until the 2008 election to see if the current Dem leadership can be sent packing. Dean's 50 state strategy may work, though Reid and Pelosi recently took Dean to task about that.

If the status quo exists to a Billary nomination, then my last act as a Dem would be to vote Dem one last time and then wish them well.

If the Dem leadership can't respond to the base, then let the base leave the Democratic leadership. Nothing personal. Like the Dem platform. Can't stand the spinelessness.

[Emillereid]

4. The writer says at the end of his letter that he did send it

to both Reid and Pelosi too.

[davidwparker]

5. I missed that part. Just pointing out that Dean has nothing to do with it

was my motivation. Any critical letters going to Reid and Pelosi I applaud. :applause:

[RubyDuby in GA]

6. Well it should have been sent to them first

It never ceases to amaze me when people bemoan Dean for not being able to fully wrestle the power back yet that McAuliffe gave away to every business interest he could in his attempts to raise money (and we have seen that Dean can even out raise him without the corporate whoring).

Every time Dean tries to do something to get the party back on track, there are at least 10 in the Senate and 20 in Congress that will come out and outright contradict him or say the exact opposite.

With friends like this, who needs the GOP???

[Cha]

9. That doesn't stop some

people from pissing and moaning about which they know nothing.

Find a scapegoat..that'll work.

[kaygore]

8. Well said!

You capture the feeling s of a lot of Democrats I know. The Party has rolled over and is playing dead. I guess they have sold out but for less money than the Republicans.

Fools!

[cali]

10. How utterly idiotic.

What's the point? The dems may be weak and sometimes reprehensible, but guess what? They're the only game in town. I'm working to make sure dems make gains this year in the midterm elections. Anything else is self indulgent malarkey. To the author I can only repeat the hackneyed phrase: Don't let the door hit you in the ass on your way out.

[Demit]

11. What's wrong with calling the party to task?

Never criticize and you leave the DLC thinking everything they do is just hunky-dory. This way they know there is dissension in the ranks, and more importantly, why.

[cali]

12. where did I say there was anything wrong with

calling the party to task? I didn't. Heck, I criticized dems in the post you responded to, or don't you think calling them reprehensible at times, is criticism? Walking out and joining an impotent 3rd party does not achieve anything to change the party.

[Demit]

13. The OP is about *threatening* to walk out, which is more likely to get the

attention of the powers-that-be than "calling them reprehensible at times". It's a tactic; it ups the ante. How effective has your tactic--criticism without consequences--been so far?

What prompted me to respond was your characterizing the letter in the OP as utterly idiotic. Since neither of us know whether or not the author has indeed changed his party registration (which wouldn't prevent him from continuing to vote for Democratic candidates anyway) I tend to think the letter is a rhetorical device to show party officials that the direction they are taking the party could result in a real loss of the formerly Democratic faithful.

[yurbud]

14. while Howard isn't the right target, the sentiment is correct.