It is often lamented by many Democrats that Americans who believe Bush's pack of lies lack intelligence. I do not agree with this.
Don't blame it on the people for not seeing through the Bushite lies. That's blaming the victims for the crime. Blame it on the pathetic Beltway Democratic upper crust. The political process is an adversary process. In order for the public to perceive the truth when the dominant party is misleading them, there has to be an opposition party that fights for the truth, in both words and deeds. We don't have that. Democrats don't have that, hence America doesn't have it.
Actions speak far louder than words.
The Democratic surrender on Alito said loudly and clearly by action that the Senate Democrats as a group have no core convictions and their words mean nothing. Even though there are a handful of individual exceptions, the group action is what the public sees. Even those who voted against cloture did not passionately fight for a filibuster within the Democratic caucus, but cast their "nay" against cloture as a symbolic formality. In the final analysis, re-election politics counted for more than any principles, just as it always does in the corrupted and self-serving congressional political culture.
As for any misguided thoughts of going "third party": The Democratic Party is the oldest continuously existing political party in the world. Jefferson and Madison founded it (at first called simply the "anti-federalist caucus") as the party of the people and in its history and its noble ideals it remains the party of the people. The party of the people still burns brightly today in the strong hearts, minds, and values of tens of millions of grassroots Democrats. Weak, self-promoting individuals who slither their way into high positions through unprincipled brokerage politics continually sell out those millions of grassroots Democrats. But as Jim Hightower so aptly says, we don't need a third party; we just need a real Democratic Party.
Don't waste your energy on being angry with the weak-kneed Senate Democrats. Realize they are irrelevant and that they will be the last to recognize their own irrelevance. Concentrate on your state and show your fellow citizens what Fighting Democrats are all about. Fight 'till hell freezes over, and then fight on the ice.
David Van Os
Democratic Candidate and Nominee
For Texas Attorney General 2006
You Can Help Me at www.vanosfortexasag.com