Activists ‘Punishing their own’

Aside from the writing of the article, which implies progressives are being unreasonable, this is just one more example proving that the Powers-That-Be in the Democratic Party just don't get it.

Bloggers and others can talk until they're blue in the face, but in the end, the PTB will continue feeding each other the same bullshit while standing in the same echo chamber. They don't want to hear what we're saying, and they don't want to know anything that contradicts their own limited view of the world – which is restricted to DC.

From Common Dreams: [all emphasis mine]

Democratic activist groups that mounted an aggressive campaign against President George W. Bush in the 2004 election have a new target: Democrats who support his policies.

A loose network of organizations, ranging from women's groups to Internet bloggers, is pressuring incumbents such as Senator Joseph Lieberman of Connecticut and Representatives Jane Harman of California and Melissa Bean of Illinois, in some cases by backing insurgent candidates in primary elections.

The groups charge that these and other Democrats have been too supportive of Bush on issues like Iraq and trade, and say they're trying to energize voters disillusioned with a party that has failed to draw clear distinctions with Republicans.

With Democrats holding a wide advantage in public-opinion polls six months before the congressional elections, the party must define its identity, said David Sirota, a Democratic activist.

“If Democrats are really about to get into power, now's the time to let them know what they need to be for,'' said Sirota, who wrote “Hostile Takeover,'' a book about political corruption.

The organizations and Web logs that identify themselves as the party's ``progressive'' wing include MoveOn.org, a coalition of groups that raised $60 million and enlisted 100,000 volunteers in the 2004 elections; DailyKos, a blog that averages 20 million visitors a month; and Democracy for America, a political action committee with 500 affiliates.

Lovely use of 'insurgent' as a descriptor – thus ensuring readers identify progressive candidates with terrorists. Also, note the use of quotes around progressive, creating the impression that progressive is just another word for…..you guessed it…….ultra-liberal.

Ed Kilgore, vice president for policy of the Democratic Leadership Council — a Washington-based group that says it represents the party's “vital center'' — cautions that the primary challenges risk undermining the Democratic Party just as it may be poised to regain control of Congress.

“At a time when we're desperately trying to take back Congress and win a majority of governorships, I'm not sure it makes a whole lot of sense for Democrats nationally to be wasting money on primary challenges,'' Kilgore said.

Yo, Ed. Wake up and smell the coffee! This isn't about wasting money. This is about the fact that YOU and nearly every other Democrat or advisor or policy wonk doesn't seem to understand that the voters want YOU and your PARTY to take a stand.

We're sending a message here: LISTEN to – and STAND UP for – your constituents or GET OUT OF THE WAY and let someone else do the job.

``The other part of this is getting candidates to stand up for what they believe in and not being mealy-mouthed about it,'' said Jim Dean, president of Democracy for America, a group inspired by former Vermont Governor Howard Dean's presidential run in 2004. Jim Dean, Howard's brother, cited Massachusetts Senator John Kerry's call in October for a phased withdrawal from Iraq and expression of regret over his vote for the war.

That's what it's all about, Ed.

Had the Democratic incumbents grown some spines before now, had they stood up to El Jefe and the Republican Rubber-Stamp Congress, had they supported their own members – Russ Feingold, Jack Murtha, John Kerry – when they took a stand, then we might have allowed them to keep their jobs.

Instead, they ignored us, they played nice with the other side on every issue, and they continue acting like Republican-lites.

So now….game on.

Got it?

Disapproval = Unsettled?!

Our Fearless Leader proves once again that English really isn't his first language.

From Crooks and Liars:

David brought up the Nixon parallel to Bush yesterday while talking about the Border issue. To Bush, disapproval means unsettled. Surprisingly, he then blamed the media:

[snip]

GREGORY: … why do you think that is?

BUSH: Because we're at war, and war unsettles people. We got-listen, we've got a great economy. We've added 5.2 million jobs in the last two-and-a-half years. But there's a-but people are unsettled. They don‘t look at the economy and say life is good. They know we're at war and I'm not surprised that people are unsettled because of war.

The enemy has got a powerful tool, and that is to get on your TV screen by killing innocent people, and my job is to continue to remind the people it's worth it. We're not going to retreat hastily. You know, we're not going to pull out of there before the job is done and we‘ve got a plan for victory.

GREGORY: But they're just not unsettled, sir. They disapprove of the job you‘re doing.

BUSH: That's unsettled. [emphasis mine]

I would have given anything – possibly even my first-born son – if David Gregory had said, "Sir, they aren't unsettled. They hate your guts. Seventy-one percent of Americans think you have screwed this country up royally – not to mention Iraq – and would like you drawn and quartered in a public ceremony on the National Mall."

Friday Anti-War Song

Matt mentioned this in the comments last week, and I decided it would be a great one to post, especially when one considers the number of men waiting for their 'girls' to come home from war.

At the end of the lyrics are photos of just a few of the servicewomen killed in Iraq. Go here to learn more – about them and Iraq's other female casualties, and about how women have served and continuing serving their country, in war and in peace.

*

Girl in the War — Josh Ritter

Peter said to Paul you know all those words we wrote
Are just the rules of the game and the rules are the first to go
But now talking to God is Laurel begging Hardy for a gun
I got a girl in the war man I wonder what it is we done

Paul said to Peter you got to rock yourself a little harder
Pretend the dove from above is a dragon and your feet are on fire
But I got a girl in the war Paul the only thing I know to do
Is turn up the music and pray that she makes it through

Because the keys to the Kingdom got lost inside the Kingdom
And the angels fly around in there but we can't see them
I got a girl in the war Paul I know that they can here me yell
If they can't find a way to help her they can go to Hell
If they can't find a way to help her they can go to Hell

Paul said to Peter you got to rock yourself a little harder
Pretend the dove from above is a dragon and your feet are on fire
But I got a girl in the war Paul her eyes are like champagne

They sparkle bubble over and in the morning all you got is rain
They sparkle bubble over and in the morning all you got is rain
They sparkle bubble over and in the morning all you got is rain

*

Verizon – blech and pttuuiii!

I'm running way behind today – thanks to Verizon and the damnable idiots they've hired to handle customer service. Not only was I cut off from the world – and on a day when I have about 20 important calls to return – but I can't get anyone to actually LISTEN to me when I tell them the phone service was working fine, then died in the middle of a call.

(Yes, CSR SnippyBitch, I know you're a little overworked lately, but I really don't give a hoot!)

On the good side, I did discover that I may be able to get local service through a company other than Verizon. (Oh how I hope and pray!)

Anyway – tons of calls to make, but I will be posting the Friday Anti-War Song and some other tidbits. I was hoping today would be Fitzmas, but so far – nada.

Worse even than that, FireDogLake is down. (First C&L, now them – what is the NSA up to??)