Sirota: Beltway Dems Regurgitate Right-Wing B.S. on Iraq; Grassroots ...

[understandinglife]

... Fights Back.

by David Sirota

August 21, 2005

The Philadelphia Inquirer has a great piece today on how many of the highest-profile 2008 Democratic presidential contenders - 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 I have written a lot about before), 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.

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Much more at the link and more than 50 comments:

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

I've noticed a few "what about the DLC" threads today.

It's really simple, imho:

1. If you claim to be a member of the Democratic Party and you have not denounced Bush for his lies, for his illegal war of aggression, for his illegal occupation of Iraq, for his administration's comprehensive support of torture and denial of due process to American citizens -- for starters -- then you are a hypocrite and a traitor to the Party, and more importantly, to the Republic.

2. If you are an elected Representative of the citizens of the United States of American and you have not denounced Bush for his lies, for his illegal war of aggression, for his illegal occupation of Iraq, for his administration's comprehensive support of torture and denial of due process to American citizens -- for starters -- then you are a hypocrite and a traitor to the Republic and you deserve to be prosecuted with the full force of the law -- as will happen to Bush, Cheney and all their fellow neoconster war criminals.

I hope the above is unambiguous.

And, I will be preparing a follow-up to this thread, with responses to any comments that fellow DUers may care to share, and posting it sometime on Monday, in which I include several elements from a thread I posted last evening:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=104&topic_id=4411738&mesg_id=4411738


Peace.

[JDPriestly]

1. Add the corruption.

More Democrats should be denouncing the corruption and demanding investigations. The pay-to-play has to stop, and that goes for both parties. Feingold is not on the take. He is not addicted to corporate money. That's the reason he can speak out while others are silent.

[understandinglife]

2. I literally meant "for starters." You are, of course, correct. My ..

...focus is on the overt murder, torture, imprisonment without due process, dismemberment of men/women/children.

The list from what you accurately state to the willful destruction of the environment, are all part of their legacy.

Thank you.


Peace.

[understandinglife]

3. The little CNN ditty is going to make that regurgitation all the more ...

....obviously heinous:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=104&topic_id=4417699&mesg_id=4417699

You can imagine how many cocktail parties on the Hamptons, Martha's Vineyard, ...., and at the Crawford dude ranch were perhaps a tad disrupted this evening ....

Not as if they all didn't have plenty of time to get their lie processors working overtime for whatever puke they'll be spewing by tomorrow morning:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=104&topic_id=4398643


Peace.

[understandinglife]

5. Interesting comments at dKos on the CNN program:

http://dailykos.com/story/2005/8/21/205218/731


Peace.

[understandinglife]

4. "What I think the White House does not yet understand - the dam has broke"

Yes, stated today on nation-wide TV, by a Republican.

"What I think the White House does not yet understand and some of my colleagues, is the dam has broken on this policy, said Nebraska Sen. Chuck Hagel, a senior member of the Foreign Relations Committee and possible presidential candidate in 2008.

From Republican Senator Likens Iraq War to Vietnam

By REUTERS

Filed at 4:27 p.m. ET August 21, 2005

Link:

http://www.nytimes.com/reuters/news/news-iraq-usa.html?pagewanted=print

Biggest part of his tongue-in-cheek "and some of my colleagues" slam is that it includes oh so very many Democratic members of the Senate and not a trivial number in the HR.



Peace.

[understandinglife]

8. I wonder if Howard Dean is recruiting Senator Hagel for '08 ...

... though, if he wants to stick with a Dem, I hope he realizes the considerable courage and value of Senator Feingold and Congressman Conyers.


Peace.

[wli]

6. sounds like the DLC

Probably a few outside the DLC too, but the DLC is the neocon fifth column.

[understandinglife]

7. "DLC is the neocon fifth column" -- you should copyright that, ...

.... if someone else hasn't. Perfect book title; and perfectly true.

Thanks for sharing!


Peace.

[KittyWampus]

9. Please,The DLC Is Made Up Of Different Types. Talk About The Leadership

at the DLC and MAYBE you won't end up sounding like a reactionary screamer.

[wli]

10. how do I come off as reactionary for that?

The entire content of the criticism is that they're right-wing/Republican/AEI/PNAC moles in the Democratic Party.

Far from reactionary, that puts me further to the left. "Radical" I might take less offense at (though I'd not be particularly happy with it, I'd not bother objecting).