So, we’re wondering what Dick and W are planning? We’re wondering what Democrats should stand up for? Dennis Kucinich gets it right!
Tag: Democrats
Oct 23 2007
Howard Dean in Portland: Inspiration but I Wanted More
I don’t think the Governor liked my question.
Tonight was billed as “An Evening with Governor Howard Dean”, held at the Benson Hotel in Portland, Oregon. The food was pretty good! Salmon, crab cakes, chicken-kabobs, grilled vegetables, cheese, fruit…mm yum! We spent the first half hour or so eating buffet style, getting to know other Democrats.
The first speaker was former Governor Barbara Roberts and she gave us one of her patented pep talks, reminding us to vote for Measures 49 and 50. She was followed by Meredith Wood Smith, chairman of the Oregon Democratic Party. Besides pumping us up for Gov. Dean’s upcoming talk she also introduced a few of our local candidates. To my surprise, one is an old friend who’ll make a terrific member of the State House. I met up with him later and signed on to his campaign.
Meredith finished up her remarks and introduced Gov. Dean, who entered from the side door like a rock star. That’s when I started taking notes.
Oct 23 2007
The Democrats Political Gambit
I started to write a comment in response to Armando’s excellent essay asking the question (and I’m paraphrasing), Why are the Democrats given a pass in the media about Congress’s ability to end the Iraq war by doing nothing? But as I continued to write, I decided it was probably more appropriate to be a seperate essay (my first here at Docudharma) rather than a comment, because it was this very issue back in February of this year that led me to my opinions and conclusions about what the Democrats were planning to do.
So with that in mind, my response continues below.
Oct 20 2007
24%
Sometimes, a number is so stunning that all you can do is stare.
24%
Look at it.
Think about it.
Less than one-fourth.
The most unpopular president ever.
According to Reuters:
Bush’s job approval rating fell to 24 percent from last month’s record low for a Zogby poll of 29 percent.
Down five percent. In one month.
Down five percent, in one month, from the previous record low!
The mind reels. The mind stumbles. The mind falls down.
The national telephone survey of 991 likely voters, conducted October 10 through October 14, found barely one-quarter of Americans, or 26 percent, believe the country is headed in the right direction.
The poll found declining confidence in U.S. economic and foreign policy. About 18 percent gave positive marks to foreign policy, down from 24 percent, and 26 percent rated economic policy positively, down from 30 percent.
You know what’s worse than being a president with a record low 24% approval rating? Being an opposition party that is incapable of opposing a president with a record low 24% approval rating.
It’s embarrassing.
It’s humiliating.
Considering the real life consequences, it’s also disastrous.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi spent part of yesterday running from her Democratic colleague, Rep. Pete Stark. Stark said bad things about Bush.
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid spent part of last week running from his colleague, Sen. Chris Dodd. Dodd tried to stop a bad Bush policy.
Pelosi and Reid did not spend much time running from Bush.
They did not resolve to stop his war.
They did not resolve to stop him from torturing people.
They did not resolve to stop him from indiscriminately spying on the American people.
They did not resolve to force him to comply with subpoenas.
They did not resolve to force him to comply with laws, national and international.
The elected leaders of the Democratic Party are afraid to stand up to a president with a 24% approval rating.
The elected leaders of the Democratic Party are afraid of being criticized for standing up to a president with a 24% approval rating.
Perhaps that’s why Reuters also reported this Zogby poll result:
A paltry 11 percent gave Congress a positive grade, tying last month’s record low.
Paltry. That’s a good word for it: paltry.
Congress always polls poorly. But this is a record. A record of paltriness.
11 percent!
They’re less popular than Bush.
They’re less than half as popular as Bush!
It’s clearly not from opposing him, because they clearly haven’t.
Maybe it’s time they tried something different.
Maybe it’s time they tried opposing him.
For real.
Because if you can’t stand up to a president with a 24% approval rating, what can you stand up to? What can you stand for?
Oct 19 2007
We’re Doomed.
One of the terms I use for my various sigs is “Never trust any organization bigger than two, and even those are suspect.” I’ve never read it anywhere, so I think it’s an original (if not, please send me the citation).
Oct 19 2007
Rush Is Right
A citizen of Republican-occupied territory, I frequently tune in to government radio in order to monitor the movements, mental and physical, of the enemy.
This morning I turned on the Grand Poobah of GOoPerdom himself, Rush Limbaugh, and was extremely discomfited to find myself nodding along in agreement, disconsolately reduced to mumbling, in the words of Limbaugh’s own blowharding bumpersticker, “Rush Is Right.”
I reproduce the relevant portions of his monologue below, because I want desperately to be wrong about this. I would like someone, anyone, to show me that, in the substance if not the rhetoric of what he says, Rush is not, in fact, right.
Oct 18 2007
Gore is Wrong
Crossposted at Daily Kos
“Gore is wrong”. That’s right. I stole that line. Because it’s true. Al Gore is wrong when he says that fighting Global Warming is a moral issue, not a political issue. It is the biggest political issue in the world today. More than any other, it cries out for a policitcal solution at the highest national and international level. Gore knows this. He can’t NOT know it. He’s gone as far as he can lobbying governement leaders and CEO’s. It’s time to lead, but he needs a movement to make his leadership unstoppable, and to maximize his unique and hard-earned credibility around the world. He’s clearly waiting for that movement to happen, to come forward. And it is. It’s happening. Even the media narrative on him is beginning to change. Now it’s all a matter of timing and momentum. And here’s why…
Oct 18 2007
Leave it to Dennis! w/poll
Many Americans like to think back to an earlier less complicated time. Indeed, when we look back, many still think of the 1950’s as a perfect time. So, let’s go back and see a typical family stitting around the table and talking about things as they are today!
bleep, whirrrrr, zap, zoooom….
(note: sounds of our time machine working)
Oct 17 2007
Will run? Won’t run? How Al Gore can stop the madness
Crossposted at Daily Kos
Sigh. Look, I’ll be brief. I come here this morning, just a peak ’cause I have other work, seriously, and oh my god, what do I find? Three Gore diaries on the rec’ list, one urging Al to run, one offering in-depth analysis the latest poll data from Gallup on Al’s chances, and one that states categorically as “breaking news” that Gore has ruled out a run completely.. Guess which one made my heart stop? Thankfully, having been on this roller-coaster for a while, I check out the comments and sure enough, Gore has said nothing of the kind , nothing new at all, and who really thinks he would break such a huge piece of news to the Europeans before his own people?
One problem that has been raised, and it’s a very valid point, is how will Gore be able to shift gears from repeatedly insisting, these many months, that “I have no intention”, “I have no plans” to run for President to suddenly declaring he’s in? What can he say without losing all credibility and becoming a laughing stock on the evening news? That is what this diary will examine.
Oct 16 2007
Pony Party! Who Would You Vote For Today Poll.
That’s right! Let’s see where the DD crowd is leaning today!
Oct 12 2007
Which Candidates Support Native American Concerns?
Department of Justice officials have quietly opposed Native Hawaiian self-determination but the administration didn’t outright come out against the recognition bill until last fall.
– snip –
The anti-Hawaiian campaign has since been extended to urban Indians, lineal Indian descendants and certain Alaska Natives. In testimony to the Senate Indian Affairs Committee, a DOJ official said that health care for these groups could violate the U.S. Constitution.
I feel less than optimistic about Native American concerns. The recent year has been very difficult and heartbreaking. Since it’s a long list, I will summarize what I am aware of by saying that vital Native American concerns failing within the courts and within congress are far outweighing Native American concerns succeeding within the courts and within congress. So, I will be direct in what I want.
Oct 12 2007
Earth to Gore: Time’s up!
Crossposted at Daily Kos and Truth & Progress
Like most of you, my first thought this morning, when I opened my eyes, was “Did he win?” And I came straight here for the answer, only to find ecstatic confirmation in my first bleary glance at the Recommended list. Yes, friends, the dream is beginning to become true, thanks to him, and also thanks to all of you! This is a force 8 tremor on the political Richter scale. But until he announces, his “chances” of entering the race will be endlessly poo-poohed by every Beltway voice, from Right Wing pundits to establishment scribes claiming personal knowledge to unofficial spin easily traceable to the Hillary campaign (Dan Gerstein on Hardball last night, anyone?). But none of all that really matters.