Oh, did you hear those bells ring out,
The bells ring out, the people shout,
And did you hear that cheer on cheer
That over all the bells rang clear?
And did you see the waving flags,
The fluttering flags, the tattered flags,
Red, white, and blue, shot through and through,
Baptized with battle’s deadly dew? - Stedman Did you hear the shouting? The Democratic Party has finally awakened to the rising clamor from the American people demanding an end the Iraq occupation. Can you hear the angry voices ringing truth throughout the chamber as our senators pour out the history of the negligence of the Bush administration in the planning, execution, and supply of the soldiers they sacrificed to their war of opportunity in Iraq? Can you hear their shouts as they fight the republican opposition for their resolution which would remove the Secretary of Defense from office? Can you hear the quenching sound of the battle met?
Did you hear the unified Democratic leadership
Monday, demanding explanations and action on the continued deterioration of the security situation in Iraq? Did you hear them as they launched a withering counter-assault and rebuttal of every bit of propaganda that has come from the Bush and the GOP's terror campaign?
Tuesday, Sen. Ted Kennedy took to the Senate floor to introduce an amendment (S.AMDT.4885) which requires an assessment by Bush of whether Iraq is in civil war and requires him to tell Congress what he plans to do about our soldiers there.
Wednesday, Democrats, along with Wesley Clark, released the 'Neo Con' report, along with the entire Democratic leadership, which outlined the failures of the Bush administration from war to the economy, with charts, graphs, analysis, and a blistering kick-off. “The facts do not lie,” said Senator Reid about the initiative. “Under the Bush Administration and this Republican Congress, America is less safe, facing greater threats, and unprepared for the dangerous world in which we live."
“The majority party in power fails to understand the basic concept of fighting terror: We can't dry up the wellspring of hatred which is driving terrorist recruiting by making more enemies than friends,” said General Clark.
“This report makes clear that the policies of the Bush Administration have failed to make the American people as safe as they should be,” said House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi. “It provides compelling evidence that the war in Iraq has weakened our military, hindered efforts to defeat terrorism, and diverted attention and resources from crucial security challenges. Anyone who reads the report will come to the inescapable conclusion: America needs a new direction.”
Yesterday, after Bush spent an hour using bin-Laden's outrageous statements to justify his militarism and continued occupation in Iraq, Sen. Kerry fired back. "If President Bush had unleashed the American military to do the job at Tora Bora four years ago and killed Osama bin Laden," Kerry said, "he wouldn't have to quote this barbarian's words today."
"Because President Bush lost focus on the killers who attacked us and instead launched a disastrous war in Iraq, today Osama bin Laden and his henchmen still find sanctuary in the no man's land between Afghanistan and Pakistan, where they still plot attacks against America."
Today, Kerry fired again, saying, "No matter how many times the President redelivers the same political speech, we need action and not words. The Administration needs to focus less on a strategy to win a mid term election and more on a strategy that will win the war on terror."
The election is a real concern for Bush. The polls already show that loss of majority control in the House awaits republicans this November. But, if Democrats aren't intimidated by their own clamor, they can effect more than a House cleaning with their protests. Voters already have a big enough target in the republicans to direct their frustration against. Democrats are beginning to give them something to vote in favor of; an active opposition which is willing to stand up for what they believe.
No one with any knowledge of the workings of the republican majority in Congress expects the Rumsfeld resolution to pass. It will likely be defeated on a cowardly point of order, rather than an outright, up or down vote. No one imagines that Bush is paying any attention at all to the rising din of opposition in Congress and throughout America to his bloody occupation of Iraq and to the $8 billion a month Bush dumps into Iraq; far out pacing the funding and appropriations for any of the other of our nation's pressing needs and concerns.
But, make no mistake. The shouting is fast becoming a bracing roar of disapproval from our citizens' representatives, urged on by a resolute public who has repeatedly registered record low approval ratings for Bush's handling of the presidency, a clear vote of no confidence in Bush in advance of the elections. Finally, the senators have awakened to their responsibility to hold the administration accountable. There is no more important function of Congress (besides their lording over our hard-earned sacrifices to our democracy) than holding the administration's feet to the fire as our soldiers fight and die abroad in defense of Iraqis; and for their own survival in a land which doesn't welcome their presence at all.
Our soldiers have sacrificed enough in defense of Iraq's Maliki regime. Our country has sacrificed enough for Bush's invasion and occupation. The leaders we elected to confront the Bush administration have awakened to the challenge of defending our democracy here at home as our soldiers struggle to defend Bush's failed adventure abroad. The Democratic opposition has finally awakened. Did you hear the shouting?
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