I hate to break the news to EVERYONE but...

[Jeffersons Ghost]

I still think John Kerry is a great man of impeccable character. In my opinion, he not only served our country with honor on the narrow death-ridden rivers of Vietnam but also in antiwar rallies.

I still remember Nancy Pelosi's first 100 hours as speaker of the House. Those were some of America's finest hours. She returned the House of Representatives to the citizens.

Say what you like about President Obama but without him, we'd be in the throws of the worst depression in history, right now.

I'll support anyone's right to express contrary opinions but isn't the Free Republican website active these days? This is still DEMOCRATIC underground, isn't it?

How many CIA directors did George W Bush Jr fire? The CIA is still suffering from his mismanagement but they have their ways of straightening troublemakers like him out, right Rumsfield?

[katmondoo]

1. A nice positive post

You made me feel better.

[lamp_shade]

2. Good morning. Big kick and rec.

[SoCalDem]

3. one teensy quibble before edit-time expires.. it's "throes"..not throws

but the ideas are great :)

[ShortnFiery]

4. I don't. He knew better than to vote for the IWR, but he wanted to be re-elected.

Further, he did not FIGHT after the Presidential Election was stolen from Ohio. Still, like a useful idiot, I voted for the man ... who folded like a cheap suit and let Bush steal a SECOND election.

Nope, nobody is perfect but I'd choose Dennis Kucinich and Cynthia McKinney over a "Skull and Bones" ruling elitist ... any day of the week.

http://www.counterpunch.org/kuzminski08182004.html

The right-wing duopoly is now virtually impervious to challenge, as the careers of figures as diverse as Ralph Nader, Pat Buchanan, Howard Dean, and Denis Kucinich demonstrate. Kerry's right-wing campaign for president, echoing the exploitative domestic and aggressive foreign policies of Bush, confirms the end of meaningful political discourse in the United States. There are simply no remaining effective instruments of political action available to the restless masses, who are probably a majority of the country, and most of whom, as a result, no longer participate in the political process at all.

Voting for Kerry is marginally better than voting for Bush, or wasting a vote for Nader. But it's rather like voting for Marius and Caesar (the Democrats) rather than Sulla and Pompey (the Republicans). A more benevolent despot is always better than a less benevolent one, but despotism it remains all the same. Can we pretend otherwise any longer?

p.s. Nancy Pelosi? You mean "Impeachment Is Off Of The Table" Nancy Pelosi?!? No, no respect there. :(

Yes, this is Democratic not Delusional Underground. We are NOT formally A BRANCH (a mouthpiece?) of the Democratic Party.

[deutsey]

7. Yeah, I recall how many dyed-in-the-wool local Dems were so exasperated with Kerry

when the Right was swift-boating him.

I was at a friend's fundraiser for Kerry and the chair of the local Dems spent part of her pitch admitting how puzzled and frustrated she was with Kerry's lack of response (and she's usually the never-say-die fighter type).

My suspicions that we were "screwn" (in the parlance of Freeperism) were pretty much confirmed that night. And then after the election when Kerry conceded, despite reports of more dirty electoral tricks from Bush, I remember I stopped the car (I was listening to the radio) and tore off my Kerry bumper sticker.

[proud2BlibKansan]

9. I am with you on this

Haven't had much respect for Kerry since he conceded when he said he would fight.

[NNN0LHI]

5. The Larouchies sure ain't going to like this one

[bananas]

6. k&r nt

[mmonk]

8. And now for something not so positive.

Impeachment off the table. Not enough change concerning secrecy and the state secrets act being used to protect unlawful behavior. DOJ still protecting "new powers" of the executive branch.

[bvar22]

11. ...not to mention that the WARS remained fully funded....

...with NO strings attached.
In fact, The "Democratic" House gave Bush MORE money than he asked for.

[Moochy]

12. +1

[Bitwit1234]

10. I know Obama and our Democratic congress are not perfect

but no body is perfect. You are 100% correct. If we didn't have the president and congress that we have right now today, we thought the country was a mess for the last eight years, what would it be under McCain and squeeky Palin.

[AnArmyVeteran]

13. I think John Kerry is a great person too.

Unfortunately, he is too cerebral to the masses who are unable to grasp paragraphs or even long sentences. During the 2004 campaign I also heard a lot of people saying they would hate to see Kerry's wife as the first lady. I'm sure they voted for Bush just because of that. Hell, I remember hearing a person saying she wouldn't vote for a democratic candidate because his lips were too small. It's amazing how people use the most trivial things to decide who they will vote for. Mike Royko, a Chicago columnist, said only 1% of the people know enough about the candidates and issues to make an informed vote. It's sad, but true. And politicians know this simple fact and use it against the mostly ignorant electorate. It leaves the doors wide open for incompetent people like Bush, and god-forbid, Sarah Palin.

[Political Heretic]

14. "I'll support anyone's right to express contrary opinions, but..... "

"only if I agree with them. If I don't, I'll compare them to Free Republic."

:eyes:

[SalviaBlue]

15. I'm with you. Rec. nt

[Toasterlad]

16. Yay, Centrists!

They're what make America great! Great at being a bloody mess!

[slay]

18. lol

so true.. i wish we had a TRUE progressive party... sigh..

[slay]

17. To many, including me, this is Democratic UNDERGROUND

you know, not the mainstream wallstreet type dems. The kind that will actually question the president when I think he is wrong. For you to suggest that people who are not 100% with Obama on everything should go to FR is a real dick-ish thing to do. You will never silence me. And Obama may not get my vote. He will either earn it, or he won't. I'm done voting for the lesser or two evils. The Dems today are are more like Republican-lite anyways. Go ahead and try and have me removed from DU JEFFERSONS GHOST and anyone else who wants a Dem purity test. We have to deal with status-quo dems like you, you gotta deal with us. Sheesh how many times will posts like this surface. :shrug:

I voted for Obama but I am NOT happy with the so called change he promised - seems like he's kept more Bush policies than he's gotten rid of. He is, at best, a pro-corporate Dem. There is no doubt he is better than McCain - and I would never vote Republican - but I may well go 3rd party if the Dems don't step up and become the party of the people again. :mad:

[Ignis]

22. +1, thanks for spelling this out.

This loyalty test crud is getting old.

[Martin Eden]

19. I have a contrary opinion about Kerry and Pelosi

I will preface this by saying they are both better-than-average Democrats and I am glad that they (rather than some Blue Dog or Rethug) are in office.

However, each of them have taken action that in my book cannot be excused.

John Kerry voted for the Iraq War Resolution in October 2002, giving Bush authority to invade Iraq. If we ever needed a strong Democrat to lead a strong opposition against an illegal unnecessary war, it was John Kerry in 2002. He was a decorated veteran who led his fellow veterans against the abomination of our war in Vietnam, but he failed his most important test when we needed him most.

When Nancy Pelosi became Speaker of the House she took impeachment of Bush & Cheney "off the table." Who in this form think those two and others in their administration were NOT guilty of war crimes or at least criminal deceit and abuse of power? What does it say when our leader in Conress declares the guilty will not be punished before even ascertaining their guilt of innocence? IMO she should have said let's get all of this out in the open and shed light on it so we can put it behind us, and let the law take its course as it should.

Those two episodes are my biggest disappointments in my Party since LBJ plunged us into Vietnam.

[frylock]

20. knu

democratic UNDERGROUND. not centrists central.

[politicasista]

21. Nah, Democrats and DUers will NEVER EVER appreciate

them and still do not. Let alone Senator Kerry. It is amazing that despite the decent things this dude as done, it is never, ever good enough. Yet, those same people laud other Democrats as favorites who do less or can not hold a candle to them on issues.

JAHO.


Edit, same with President Obama except he has held office for five years (counting his Senate years).

[TheKentuckian]

23. I tire of the saved the economy thing. I grant and give credit for it BUT

anyone half ass sane would have done at least as much, the "fiddle while Rome burns" crowd had very little support from movers and shakers and even the dumbass shrub had already started making a lot of the moves from bank bailouts to at least propping up GM and Chrysler.

I'm a fan of Kerry (but know he's trying to take what he can get on energy/climate while saying fuck it to what is crucially required), I like Pelosi well enough (she's performed well over the last 15 months or so), hell I was totally in the tank for Obama (in no small parts due to Kerry and Teddy'd support) and am hard on him because I believe he has the talent, intangible likeability, and intellect to be top notch but is caught up sniffing farts of the uberwealty and taint licking TeaPubliKlans as often as plausible.

[FrenchieCat]

24. Not perfect, but great Democrats, without a doubt......

and it will be written as such in the history books...
and that will be the truth.

[politicasista]

28. Kick

And Obama will be one of the best presidents ever. :patriot:

[WilliamPitt]

25. Cheers

:toast:

[upi402]

26. I supported Kerry on neocon boards endlessly

and they REFUSE to accept a single fact.

Still in all, Kerry is not your father's Democrat. He took a seat as our democracy was stolen. Unforgivable. True, if Republicans had won, we would be over the cliff now. It's not hopeful, however, that we are now gliding smoothly toward the cliff now.

We can do better.

[hfojvt]

27. I hate to break the news to you

but it should be "throes" rather than "throws". A throe is defined as a "violent pang" or "anguish".