by DemFromCT
There's lots of material from the weekend, so let us give you a platform for what you want to talk about. In the meantime, the Kevin (brother of Pat) Tillman letter has made the AP after hitting the internets last week.
"Somehow, the same incompetent, narcissistic, virtueless, vacuous, malicious criminals are still in charge of this country. Somehow, this is tolerated. Somehow, nobody is accountable for this."
That's what elections are for. The letter is here.
The loss of a brother. The thought shivers my soul. I tremble. My oldest will be back over there in that pit of hell again this Christmas.
I have not had that kind of loss, though it is ever present on my mind. I have had family members injured. I have suffered the loss of one person I knew and others I knew about, and some very good friends of members of my family.
When I think of my brothers. I think of happiness, of Christmas, of birthday parties, of pranks. Of big happy boys that would just pick me up, toss me, or "gently" crush me, and laugh, but were always there whenever I needed that proverbial "big brother," that protector or even a non-parental advisor.
I think of when I transferred to schools because I was a service brat, and was a thin, tall awkward little girl, and came into new groups some of which didn't respect an officer's daughter, or a Doctor's daughter, but when they found out that "that is your brother" there was no more hazing or bullying. The older (and younger) girls fell in love with them, the boys respected them, and at times feared them. The title "so and so's little sister" became a mantle of protection for me and my friends. Kids that didn't respect or fear authority when it wasn't right in view, had a high degree of apprehension about two large athletic brothers who would hunt them down, chase them, and (hmmm, lets say) severely "impact" them with the need to "be nice" to their sister.
I don't go overboard with the rhetoric when I discuss the Bush Administration. I feel that if you misuse the language then you lose the ability to think realistically or constructively. I see it here on Hurrah all the time. Maybe people are just ranting, but I think too they lose objectivity.
Politicans make wrong decisions all the time. We should vote them out. Bush is not running but his downfall is a aid in tossing some of his cronies out.
I too saw some recordings of the Sunday talk shows. One in particular reinforced what I had already heard. The Speaker to be, Pelosi, says she will not try to prosecute the Bush Administration. She says it "would be a waste of time." That there are important things to do.
I have to agree with her.
But with the rhetoric I hear hear and see elsewhere, I only wonder it she will have her mind changed.
Posted by: Jodi | October 23, 2006 at 11:29
Nancy Pelosi is a very smart and tough woman. She will do what is best for the country. She is saying that right now she wouldn't get sidetracked with impeachment. But that doesn't mean that the Bush Admin can ignore her or the Congress. She has the guts to do what is needed, when (if) it is needed.
Posted by: Mimikatz | October 23, 2006 at 11:43
Rather than being a waste of time, impeaching George W. Bush and Richard B. Cheney is absolutely essential to restoring democracy in our country. Of course, that would mean we would have President Pelosi. I don't know whether or not our political system will be able to achieve the correct result in the remaining two years of the Bush reign, but I certainly hope that Bush, Cheney, and Rumsfeld are prosecuted after leaving office for their continuing violations of the War Crimes Act. Bush, of course, should also be prosecuted for the thousands of violations of FISA that he has publicly admitted to ordering. I assume that Gonzales and Ashcroft are probably on the hook for those as well.
It always amazes me how many "tough on crime" true believers suddenly go all wobbly when the "evil doers" are elected officials of their own party.
Posted by: William Ockham | October 23, 2006 at 12:10
I heard the Pelosi clip and what I heard her saying was that to talk impeachment would be to condemn us all to more years of focusing on Bush and Cheney. I don't happen to agree with her on this -- I'd like to see a little justice done for the crimes of these men. But as politics, I thought her tone was correct; she's promising "we'll work to put things right, not mire you in gloom." People prefer hopefulness to what they feel is vindictiveness.
Posted by: janinsanfran | October 23, 2006 at 12:16
Canvassing this weekend in two Repub leaning districts was rather interesting. We focused on working class neighborhoods with a high percentage of registered Indys.
Most of the people we met are "low information" voters. Some knew there was an election, others knew there was an election but did not know the date and others did not know there was an election. Many were too busy with their daily lives to keep up with politics.
Iraq was one issue most people were aware of. Although many had bought into the Iraq=AQ frame this was closer to home as they knew someone that had been killed, maimed or serving. The majority felt it was time to bring them home. On pocket book issues of jobs and healthcare clearly the majority felt the country was on the wrong track and their lives getting more difficult. The general response was that politcians only look after themselves and the people are left to fend for thyemselves.
Many did not know which candidates were running and did not know who the incumbent was. Since most of these voters are Repub leaning they indicated that if they vote they typically vote reflexively or what their friends and family "heard" in their social grapevine. Those that were more aware of current events were clearly more inclined to vote for the Dems.
Those Indys that we had the opportunity to speak with on issues were very receptive. At least they were made aware of the Dem candidate and why voting for the Dem candidate in this election was important. My own sense is that many of these folks will not vote as other pressing issues will come up. Another is that the Dems need to build an on-going voter outreach program that gets to these voters on a regular basis so that they know about the party and its positions and not just wait for an election.
Posted by: ab initio | October 23, 2006 at 13:02
From the Walsh report on Iran-Contra: "...the failure to punish government lawbreakers sends the perception that public officials are not wholly accountable for their actions. It also may lead the public to believe that no wrongdoing took place."
and
"Congress has the duty and power under our system of checks and balances to ensure that the President and his Cabinet officers are faithful to their oaths."
Google has a treasury of information on Iran-Contra players who even today are shredding the Constitution.
Posted by: Sally | October 23, 2006 at 13:53
From the Walsh report on Iran-Contra: "...the failure to punish government lawbreakers sends the perception that public officials are not wholly accountable for their actions. It also may lead the public to believe that no wrongdoing took place."
and
"Congress has the duty and power under our system of checks and balances to ensure that the President and his Cabinet officers are faithful to their oaths."
Google has a treasury of information on Iran-Contra players who even today are shredding the Constitution.
Posted by: Sally | October 23, 2006 at 13:53