Still Spineless After All These Years
If you think that the Dems, fresh from their November election victory, are finally going to start kicking ass and taking names over Iraq and the botched War on Terror, you better think again.
According to today's Boston Globe:
House Democratic leaders yesterday outlined plans to try to force the Bush administration to close the Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq and the Guantanamo Bay detention facility in Cuba...
Rep. Murtha claims that the closing are necessary "to restore our credibility worldwide."
Sounds good, until you give it two seconds' thought and realize that we'd just be moving the prisoners someplace else, no doubt under the same conditions of abuse and denial of basic rights — rights like actually bothering to charge them with some sort of, you know, crime.
This is how the Dems plan to spend the next two years — cynically making political hay for 2008 while Americans and Iraqis continue to die in a war that never should have happened. And by the way, a war that happened with the Dems' spineless complicity in 2002.
Comments
I wish the plight of those prisoners at Guatanamo had been part of the Dems "100 Hours" too. I can't blame them totally though, they've chosen to focus on issues driven by public opinion. Unfortunately, those poor men trapped in prison are out of sight and out of mind to most Americans.
Posted by: Kathy | January 13, 2007 03:06 PM
I'm feeling too isolated at present to get a real sense of how things are flowing. But from the campaign there was a clear and cynical crossover of party lines which must effect how the Dems program is set.
But I've been thinking that if they do make any real gains in sorting out the Iraq tangle, it will be because of pressure from renegade Repubs.
Can't really rely on anyones colours.
Posted by: cartledge | January 13, 2007 04:03 PM
I can't argue with that, but I'm very pleased to see minimum wage, Medicare reform, and stem cell research out there, with GOP having to vote against it.
Anyway, I plan to hope against hope that you're wrong.
Posted by: nyceducator | January 13, 2007 05:10 PM
Kathy and Nyceducator, I agree that the Dems are going to try to make some needed and welcomed changes - nyc listed some. But they're playing to their base, and that doesn't take much courage. What would take courage is to hold this admin accountable for the crimes in Iraq, regardless of the consequences to their (the Dems') political careers. That would mean getting us out of Iraq, and impeaching Bush and Cheney for getting us in there on false pretenses.
You're right, cartledge. The Dems are going to need help from the Repubs. As I've said before, I just don't understand how anyone can play partisan politics when it comes to war - especially an unjust war.
Posted by: abi | January 13, 2007 05:40 PM
It does appear, though, that Republicans are more readily siding with Democrats in the new House. Reality-based educator wrote about that today.
Public opinion is rapidly mounting against this war, and I can't see how the president's escalation does anything but worsen things. It's very hard for me to discern any motivation whatsoever on his part, other than dumping the war on his predecessor.
I think another priority for the new House ought to be fixing the voting machines, before we get yet another GW.
Posted by: NYC Educator | January 14, 2007 11:55 AM
I hope you're right about the Republicans, NYC. And I know you're right about the escalation.
Posted by: abi | January 14, 2007 07:03 PM