ODDS AND ENDS,: An Impromptu Rant From The Left

The following is an excerpt from a speech which George W. Bush delivered to a closed session of the United States Senate on February 29, 2006.

"It is with great reluctance that I have agreed to this calling. I love democracy... I love America... I am mild by nature, and I do not desire to see the destruction of democracy. The power you give me I will lay down when this crisis has abated, I promise you...We stand on the threshold of a new beginning! In order to ensure our security and continuing stability, the American Republic will be reorganized into the first American Empire, for a safe and secure society which I assure you will last for ten thousand years. An empire that will continue to be ruled by this august body, and by myself as the sovereign ruler chosen for life . An empire ruled by the majority. Ruled by a Christian constitution for millennium to come."*

Only later, when the dark night of theocracy spread itself across the face of the former American Republic did the people realize the true nature of George W. Bush, did they respond and take action. But by that time it was too late. The Imperial instinct had been deeply ingrained, and the...

All right, it probably isn't quite that bad--at least not yet--but only a fool can deny that this country is taking very real and troubling steps towards totalitarianism. As a continuation of Halcyon67's post, We Need New Democractic Senators, I would suggest that the last thing we need is two Republican Parties. Like Halcyon, I am disgusted by the compliant behavior of the Democractic Party as it crawls into bed with its Republican counterpart. And to connect Halcyon's post about the Democractic Senators with my satirical opening about the Stars Wars Trilogies, I would remind our readers that we are at a vital junction in our nation's history and that the so called "loyal opposition" is doing its best to emulate the ruling regime in Washington.

I'm sorry, but it seems to me that the Democractic Party has all the backbone of Jello on a hotplate. In Russ Feingold's effort to censure George W. Bush for his crimes against the American Constitution, we have a very mild and moderate method by which we can remind both, George W. Bush and the American people, that this is a Representative Republic, a Constitutional government with a legal separation of powers. The Feingold solution does not put the entire country through the exhaustive, hand wringing experience of an impeachment; it does not send the President to jail; it does not demand that he make financial restitution; in fact, it does very little to him. But it does remind him, and his backers, and the American people, that the executive branch is only one of three branches of government. This may come as a shock and a revelation to the Republicans--and perhaps to a good number of democrats--but this is not a one branch system of government. The United States of America is based on a separation of powers. The President is only an elected official, and a temporary one at that. Despite right wing distortions of the framing document, he does not have the right to break the law. Not even during a time of war. Unfortunately, the United States Senate doesn't get this.

We saw the true nature of the United States Senate when Senator Pat Roberts gave his beloved President a pass on the domestic spying scandal. Not to be outdone, the Democrats have now backstabbed one of their own as they relenquish more power to the President of the United States. I know, I know, we're talking about Senator Feingold, but the issues are related. Instead of backing a viable alternative to the corruption that has been coming out of 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue since January 2001, the Democractic Senators have again acquiesced to the right, this time betraying one of their own kind.

And the thing that frightens me the most is that I am no longer surprised by any of this. Disgusted? Yes. Angered? You betcha. But surprised? Not in the least. You'd think that at some point the Senators, both Democractic and Republican would tell themselves: "I am an American first. I swore to uphold and defend the American Constitution. I believe in the rule of law and the Bill of Rights." After that, they might just tell themselves: "I am an American Senator, I have a duty to this august body." And, at some point you might even expect them to say something to the effect of: "I have a duty to the American people."

But this isn't happening. Instead they ask what they can do for themselves. They ask what they can do to avoid confrontation. They ask how they can place more power in the hands of an already too powerful presidency. And then they expect us to behave as if this were all normal.

Well, friends and neighbor's, I have news for everyone. This is not normal.

America is not a global empire; America is not a theocracy; America is not a dictatorship; America is not a totalitarian power. For the time being at least, we are still a Representative Republic. And yet, the Democratic Party is behaving in a manner which is almost guaranteed to produce more defeats and set backs in the 2006 elections.

In 2000 they ran a wet dish rag of a candidate who didn't even have the courage to challenge the end results of a very corrupt electoral process. In 2002 they didn't have the courage nor the intelligence to defend themselves against outrageous accusations of treason. In 2004 they ran yet another wet dish rag for president, who both, failed to distinguish himself from the regime in Washington, and who failed to respond when his character was smeared by a pack of congenital liars. And now the Democrats--who are acting more like Country Club Republicans than bona fide liberals--are making the same stupid mistakes which have brought them nothing but defeat since the year 2000.

Fellow liberals, fellow Democrats, allow me explain a few facts of life. Since you seem to be too self-involved, or too cowardly, or too obtuse to figure this out for yourselves, I shall endeavor to point the way for you. We do not need two Republican Parties. The one we have is bad enough, we don't need to double our misery by emulating them in any way, shape or form.

To paraphrase the late President Harry Truman, if you run a real Democrat against a real Republican, the real Democrat will almost invariably win. But if you run a real Republican against a phony Republican, the real Republican will almost invariably win.

Which brings me back to the topic at hand.

Why, why, are Democrats so scared to differentiate themselves from the President and his very sociopathic party? Look at the President's approval ratings. Depending on the poll in question we're talking about 34 to 38 percent. Vice President Dick Cheney is hovering at the 18 to 20 percent mark. I can understand the temptaion to sit back and allow the Republicans to implode, but I would remind the readers that doing nothing is not an option. We cannot replace something with nothing. We need to state our arguments. We need to tell the American people, prove to the American people, that we can do a lot better than we're doing right now.

We know that clean air and fresh water are superior to smoke-filled air and toxic lakes. We know that providing health insurance for each and every American is better than allowing more than 40 million Americans to go uninsured. We know that clean government is better than corruption. We know that government of the people, by the people, and for the people is better than an oligarchy of the unelected, corporate few. We know that people should be rewarded for hard work and we know that it is not immoral to help people when they're down and out. But to listen to my fellow Democrats as they run from their liberal values and take cover under the sheets with the nearest Republican/corporate whore, you'd think that we were living in a one [Republican] Party system.

So let me say this to my fellow Democrats. I do not want to be a Republican. I do not want to be ruled by a Republican Oligarchy, and I do not--repeat, DO NOT--want the Democratic Party to behave like the Republican Party. I want to hear precise, easy to understand arguments which explain why our policies are superior to the failed policies of the Bush administration, corporate America, and the Radical Christian Right. I want to support a party that does not tell me that government should be run like a business, but I DO want to support a party which tells the American people that the business of government is good, clean democracy.

Take my word for it. Cowardace didn't work in 2000; it didn't work in 2002; it didn't work in 2004 and it will not work in 2006. We can't beat something with nothing. Ladies and gentlemen, we need to express your ideas. We need to present yourselves as a viable alternatives to the bizarre collection of megalomaniacs and power addicts which we currently call the Bush Administration.

We do not need another Republican Party.

*Quotes paraphrased from:

STAR WARS II: ATTACK OF THE CLONES

and

STAR WARS III: REVENGE OF THE SITH