Where are the other Democrats?

[LittleClarkie]

http://www.salon.com/politics/war_room/index.html?blog=/politics/war_room/2005/06/24/democrats/index.html

For those who have been itching for someone -- the national media, the White House, Congress, anybody -- to take the Downing Street memo seriously, the news today is mostly good: Even if the Republicans will never let it happen, John Kerry and nine other Senate Democrats have actually asked for an investigation that will include the revelations set forth in the Downing Street memo.



And yet -- where are the rest of the Senate Democrats? There are 44 Democrats in the Senate, and Kerry circulated a draft of his letter to the whole lot of them two weeks ago. In the end, he was able to persuade just nine of his colleagues to sign on: Jon Corzine, Tim Johnson, Frank Lautenberg, Ted Kennedy, Barbara Boxer, Tom Harkin, Jack Reed, Jeff Bingaman and Dick Durbin.

Where are you, Harry Reid? Any reason you didn't sign, Sen. Clinton? And while we wouldn't expect to see a signature from someone like Joe Lieberman on this letter, why don't we see your name there, Sen. Obama?

It would be one thing, we suppose, if Kerry's letter were outrageous somehow -- say, if it impugned the patriotism of millions of Americans or suggested their real "motives" were to put U.S. troops in mortal danger. But Kerry's letter isn't like that. It simply quotes passages from the Downing Street memo and highlights the "troubling questions" that they raise.

Is it that you don't think those questions are worth answers, Joe Biden? Or does the experience of Dick Durbin -- who did, after all, sign the Kerry letter -- have you too scared to raise them?

-- Tim Grieve

Hopefully because it's only 5 paragraphs, it's okay.

Good questions though, eh?

[Puzzler]

1. Probably the first step is to...

... stop calling it a damn "memo". To the average American, "memo" sounds like a Post-It note stuck to a refrigerator door.

-P

[LittleClarkie]

2. I think we're stuck

It's hard to change the name of something midstream. People are gonna call it what people are gonna call it. And it won't end up mattering what it's called if people get the idea what's in them.

It's just kind of hard to make sexy and quick for the average shmuck on the street.

[wisteria]

3. Exactly! Why didn't they sign. What are they afraid of?

Why wouldn't they sign when the DSM could be the beginning of holding this administration accountable for leading us into war under false pretenses. If we ignore the lies told to the American public by this administration, in regards to the Iraq war, and we do not hold them accountable, what message does that send to future administrations? Its OK to lie to the American people and manipulate information so that it suits your needs. Its OK to misrepresent the reasons for a war and its OK to us the war to your advantage when ever necessary. Millions of US dollars have already been spent and many lives lost and this administration still will not omit it has been wrong about anything.
I'm going to send an e-mail to all the Senate democrats and ask them why they didn't sign. I think they owe us an explanation.

[LittleClarkie]

4. Indeed

there are certain ones that I really expected to see. Are they just not fond of Kerry, like Reid? Or is this a political hot potato?

Or do they just not see the importance? I just don't get it.

Emailing them all is a good idea.

[Pachamama]

5. Where are you Diane Feinstein? How about joining your fellow Senator Boxer

on this letter and representing the 58% of Californians that disapprove of Bush and the even more who dissapprove of the War on Iraq....lets investigate the DSM and the role of the Bush administration pre-war...

[LightningFlash]

6. Now YOU can all make a difference too!!

Not just hold corrupt republicans accountable to start the resolution of inquiry.

But you can hold all your democratic senators, every last one who refused to sign!!

Make them sign on and do it now if they ever want to be back in business again, since millions of dollars have been lost and thousands of lives lost. It's too big of a risk.

Sign on for your senator to sign the DSM inquiry today!!!
:patriot:
http://www.usalone.com/index.htm

It's time we be Rovvvvin along now.

[bklyncowgirl]

7. Holding moistened fingers to the wind as we speak.

Kudos to those courageous Senators who signed and especially to John Kerry who had the courage to initiate this letter.

For the rest, just remember the old adage, the only thing necessary for evil to truimph is for good people to do nothing.

[karynnj]

8. None of the 2008 Senate hopefuls have signed

(obviously excepting Kerry) Aside from the DSM, the committee that was suppose to investigate how the administration used the intelligence data and produce a report after the elections includes an interesting member, John McCain.

As McCain, if he could make it though a primary, would be one of the toughest candidates to beat, forcing him to do the task he signed up would be great. He would likely have to choose between Bush and the truth. We could see if he really is the honest, sincere maverick that his supporters believe him to be or a more typical politician. I would bet on the latter, the MSM aside, if voters wanted a true maverick, they had their chance last year.

[second edition]

9. It seems to me the administration has quietly discouraged

continual investigations and the Republican senators on the committee are more than willing not to pursue the issue. I think that's why we need to press the issue with the other senators. I wonder why these senators are ignoring the significance of these "minutes". They are allowing this president to get away with mis-leading us into war and not holding him accountable for his lies. When you compare these lies and the deception to what President Clinton was nearly impeached for - an affair-it just doesn't make sense not to pursue this. I'm not talking revenge here, but just the magnitude of the issue-Clinton lied about an affair-Bush lied about, and very likely had a hand in, manipulating the intelligence regarding WMD and allowing a misrepresentation of Saddam's involvement in 9-11 to continue, without forcefully denying it, therefore perpetrating willful miscommunication to the American people, leading us into war many American's thought was absolutely necessary in order to protect our country.