Desperately Seeking a Democratic Congress

The Democratic Republican duopoly is preventing Americans from getting the government they need and deserve.
Corruption is rampant and reaches into every branch of government, the military and every government agency.
Democrats are not as corrupt as the party in power but then they have little to offer those that want favor.
They have shown that they are corrupt enough to support some seriously bad policies and to stand idly by while the rule of law is openly flaunted and the Constitution is ignored.
Democrats want Americans to believe they represent change and perhaps they do.

But will they be willing or able to put the brakes on an out of control war machine, a dangerous tendency slide toward fascism and oligarchy. Will they push away the corrupt lobbyists who offer expensive perks and huge donations or will they continue the culture of corruption to ensure their own ascendancy?

Democrats are telling us they need to take back both Houses of Congress in order to stop the Bush juggernaut. They can open investigations if they take the House but they need the Senate for subpoena power.
Sounds good if you ignore their collective refusal to consider impeachment for dozens of impeachable offenses this president has committed and the whispers of amnesty for Bush Co criminals.

The temptation to ignore their "surrender monkey" talk is overwhelming.
The White House/Congress conveyor belt that turns political pandering into law is distressing. Rubber-stamping the hundreds of innovative ways to screw average Americans that the transnational corps have sent to Congress can’t stop soon enough. We want our treasury back.
But will changing drivers help when the bus is built to go the wrong way?

The “Hostile Takeover” of a part of Democratic Party by the same corporate bad actors, health care shysters and war contractors that have a death grip on the GOP is having a profound effect on how the Democratic leadership are going about challenging the GOP.
They haven’t shared their plans with us but from where I stand, it looks something like this.

Slap down outspoken populist candidates. Provide bland substitute and candidates with a military record and no constituency.
Popular House candidate Paul Hackett was kneecapped by the same Democrats that encouraged him to run.
Anti-war candidate Christine Cegalis had the rug cut pulled out from under her by the DNC after an admirable showing in her first election and two solid years of building an organization and support.

Incumbents rock. Throw money and endorsements at DLC darlings (Republicans with a donkey on their lapel) who vote the big money agenda. Refuse to support or endorse primary challengers who have an agenda that voters support but big donors don’t.
Joe Lieberman, Connecticut’s version of Zell Miller can command an appearance by Barak Obama while Ned Lamont, the candidate who represents core Democrat values is left twisting in the wind.

Send in the shock troops. If Democratic voters rebel, tap the populist members of Congress who you marginalized and isolated after they had the audacity to take a principled stand, look out for interests of their constituents or speak out to provide cover.
Pro-war, pro-corporate incumbent Senator Maria Cantwell is in a tight spot.
Barak Obama, Jim McDermott and Russ Feingold have all gone to bat for “her aloofness”.

Mythologize and disguise. Twist the arms of progressives whose voting records are the polar opposite of the candidates to endorse and speak on the incumbent’s behalf.
The Congressional Democrats and the Democratic leadership are so deeply in the pockets of the “corporatocracy” they can’t even stage a show rebellion in Congress during the run up to the election.

Plead weakness. Sorry we screwed you. Democrats have no power. We can’t do anything until you elect a whole bunch more of us.

Democrats have far more power than the right wing fringies (currently running everything) did during the Clinton years. The difference is that they didn't waste their time whining and rolling over without a fight.

Political parties control a lot more of the money after McCain Feingold. The bill limited individual contributions but lowered the bar on soft money.
Political parties whose members can easily be bribed, pressured and convinced to support almost anything, even a Third Riech interpretation of American values and an unlawful president, are deciding who runs and how they run.

Through one miserable election debacle after another, quislings in the Democratic party keep their jobs and perks while the livelihoods of Americans are shipped overseas. These folks don’t know a damn thing about wining elections. We have the scars to prove it.

How can we trust the Democrats who voted to end the filibuster and Samuel Alito to protect choice?
How can we expect the Democrats who are endorsing a criminal to head the CIA to protect us from terrorism and guard our civil rights?
How can we expect the Democrats who overwhelmingly voted for the war, to end the war?
How can we expect Democrats who voted for tax relief for the wealthy and corporate welfare to be fiscally responsible?

The country is not divided by two vastly different ways of seeing the world; it is divided by ignorance.
No voter will support policies that will harm their families and their fortunes. When they appear to, it is because they do not understand how bad government policies can heap hardship and injury upon themselves and their loved ones. They don't understand that their closely held prejudices are baseless. They cannot see how they are being manipulated by what they do not know. Not enough Americans can see through the conventional wisdom and lies that allow others to take what belongs to them.

This isn’t a battle between two American political Parties; it’s a battle between the American voters and a trans-national, fascist machine.
A handful of Democratic incumbents have done an admirable job. The rest don’t deserve our support. We shouldn’t let ourselves be bullied into supporting someone who may or may not serve our interests by a bunch of corrupt, overfed ne’er do wells.
Populists win by huge margins. Sellouts end up in close elections that the GOP steal.

There is still time to stage a rebellion before this election that should continue well into the next election cycle.

Don't give soft money until you get support for progressives.

Confront the candidates and pressure them for concessions.

Make your voice heard. As one blogger said, “that stonewall isn’t is as thick as we think or else they wouldn’t be so nervous about a handful of progressive candidates.”

The only way we can get ourselves out of this morass once and for all is public financing of elections with a professional public agency to run them.

When your govenment is for sale, you can't expect powerful interests not to buy.

Carol DW