Kevin Drum Points Out What Democrats Need to Do

[kerrygoddess]

Kevin Drum Points Out What Democrats Need to Do
August 24th, 2005

Since Russ Feingold made his leap to announce a time frame to pull out of Iraq, there has been some considerable clamor from liberals for other Senate Democrats to step up to the plate and follow suit.

With Iraq heating up and Cindy Sheehan is out in front as the Poster Mom for the anti-war movement, the tension has been mounting between factions of the Democratic Party. Kevin Drum of The Washington Monthly offers some solid advice to all concerned, in the L.A. Times:

Needless to say, an internecine war between its hawks and doves is the last thing the beleaguered Democratic Party needs. You can be sure that Karl Rove would do his best to hammer such a wedge straight through the heart of the party come election time. So both Democratic factions would be well-advised to do some serious thinking before their disagreements get out of hand.

MORE & LINKS - http://blog.thedemocraticdaily.com/?p=341

[wli]

1. yes, give the DLC hawks the boot. they're neocon moles anyway.

Put Iraq war vets up against them all in the primaries.

[kerrygoddess]

2. Sorry.. but I don't think that's the point.

DLC isn't even in the post -- WTF?

[wli]

3. You mentioned hawks, so the DLC tie was natural. n/t

[kerrygoddess]

6. I quoted ...

and again, it's not like the anti-war folks don't use the term hawks. Don't assume that using that term supports the DLC.

[AntiCoup2K4]

4. The DLC isn't mentioned directly, but the bias is evident in the language.

...used by the author. Those who voted for the war are called "liberal hawks" and "mainstream Democrats" while those who oppose it are referred to as "the anti-war left".

Those are clearly biased references. While I'm not familiar with the author, I would guess his article was meant as counter-spin to Gary Hart's op-ed in the Washington Post, which suggests the following....

But what will history say about an opposition party that stands silent while all this goes on? My generation of Democrats jumped on the hot stove of Vietnam and now, with its members in positions of responsibility, it is afraid of jumping on any political stove. In their leaders, the American people look for strength, determination and self-confidence, but they also look for courage, wisdom, judgment and, in times of moral crisis, the willingness to say: "I was wrong."

To stay silent during such a crisis, and particularly to harbor the thought that the administration's misfortune is the Democrats' fortune, is cowardly. In 2008 I want a leader who is willing now to say: "I made a mistake, and for my mistake I am going to Iraq and accompanying the next planeload of flag-draped coffins back to Dover Air Force Base. And I am going to ask forgiveness for my mistake from every parent who will talk to me."

Further, this leader should say: "I am now going to give a series of speeches across the country documenting how the administration did not tell the American people the truth, why this war is making our country more vulnerable and less secure, how we can drive a wedge between Iraqi insurgents and outside jihadists and leave Iraq for the Iraqis to govern, how we can repair the damage done to our military, what we and our allies can do to dry up the jihadists' swamp, and what dramatic steps we must take to become energy-secure and prevent Gulf Wars III, IV and so on."

While Senator Hart is specifically mentioning the future 2008 Presidential candidate here, I would argue that this approach would be better for all Democrats who voted to enable Bush's war. They were wrong in doing so, and they should own up to it. For the reasons Hart mentioned, and also to move forward as Democrats, hopefully learning the lesson to never allow any President that kind of power again, especially one with a family crime record going back 70 years.

[kerrygoddess]

5. Actually

What Drum says is an echo of what Hart said in many ways. Drum simply takes it a step further and suggests that we need to find some common ground become the factions of the democratic party as well.