Still A Democrat

Much has been written recently about the country’s huge disappointment in the Democratic-controlled Congress, which continues to enable the dysfunction of Imperial President George Bush.

Congress has an 11 percent approval rating, according to one poll. More Republicans approve of the “work” Congress is doing than Democrats. The Republicans effectively own the Democrats right now. The Democratic majorities in the House and Senate are not large enough to counter ultra-conservative Democrats, such as U.S. Sen. Dianne Feinstein (California), who has emerged as a Bush sycophant.

As Salon.com blogger Glenn Greenwald points out, Feinstein is the face of what is discouragingly wrong with the Democratic Party right now. She is a 74-year-old politician with absolutely nothing to lose politically. She represents California, a blue state. She is filthy rich. She could and should retire tomorrow and live a life of luxury. So why does she vote consistently with Republicans against her own party’s base? How does such a person qualify herself just in terms of consistency and logic alone?

As Greenwald points out, “What is so notable — and most revealing — about this is that Feinstein is a Democratic Senator from one of the most liberal states in the country. Conventional wisdom holds that she is a ‘liberal’ or at least a moderate. She came onto the national scene in the 1980s as the Mayor of San Francisco, one of the most liberal large cities in the nation, and was twice re-elected by San Francisco residents. In fairness, she casts some (usually futile) votes in favor of the standard Democratic agenda on issues such as the environment, gun control and the Military Commissions Act. And she’ll listlessly participate in investigations that go nowhere, even when the White House defies or outright ignores subpoenas. But what she does with the greatest conviction is supports right-wing Bush measures and, above all else, is an ardent defender of the Beltway power establishment.”

Last week, she voted to condemn the anti-war organization, Moveon.org, for running an advertisement critical of Gen. David Petraeus, the commanding general in Iraq, who recently pushed Bush and GOP talking points when he testified about the occupation. She has voted to ban habeas corpus in this country. Her husband is a defense contractor. She is a typical Beltway politician who is not distinguishable from most Republicans. She possesses no moral center in her politics.

Along with Feinstein, here are the Democratic Senators who voted against the basic concept of free speech in America by condemning the Moveon.org for publishing an advertisement critical of Petraeus: Max Baucus, Evan Bayh, Ben Cardin, Thomas Carper, Bob Casey Jr., Kent Conrad, Byron Dorgan, Tim Johnson, Amy Klobuchar, Herb Kohl, Mary Landrieu, Patrick Leahy, Blanche Lincoln, Claire McCaskill, Barbara Mikulski, Ben Nelson, Bill Nelson, Mark Pryor, Ken Salazar, John Tester and Jim Webb.

These politicians have enshrined Petraeus as the quintessential Military Man of Integrity. In October, 2008, when he spouts more lies to Congress right before the elections, the Democrats will not be able to say a thing about him. You cannot celebrate a person’s integrity and then question his/her veracity later. It is simple logic.

All of this is quite discouraging, of course, and many Democrats are now pondering this personal question: Do I bail on the Democrats and become an independent knowing this may well give the 2008 national elections to the Republicans or do I stay and fight to reframe the values and ideals of the party?

Here is the only answer to that question: Fight. Fight to defeat politicians like Feinstein—and all the Democrats who voted against free speech last week—within the structure of the party. Defeat them in primary elections with real Democratic candidates. Californians could also urge Feinstein to retire. Only a Democratic sweep in the 2008 national elections will prevent this country from adopting some type of totalitarian government, which will no doubt be called “Thompson’s Freedom Pact” or some similar distorted slogan. Only a Democratic president and wider Democratic majorities in the House and Senate will stop the insidious extremism and intellectual reductionism of the neoconservatives.

In Oklahoma, one of the reddest of red states, this dilemma is exasperated tenfold. The corporate media here works openly to stifle real political debate. Yet there are brilliant points of light even here. For example, State Sen. Andrew Rice (D-Oklahoma City) is running against GOP tyrant U.S. Sen. Jim Inhofe. Rice is a true progressive who has opposed the Iraq occupation from the beginning. He represents a new generation of Democratic politicians who want to restore the integrity and the “difference” of the party when compared to the Republicans.

And it is okay to vent despite the weird arguments of people like Randi Rhodes, the Air America radio show host who would not allow her callers on Friday to complain about how Democrats voted with Republicans to stifle free speech. (She made quite a spectacle of herself, throwing out the f-bomb in the process.) It is paramount we mount massive campaigns to get politicians like Feinstein removed from office because we must change the party’s direction. But we must not ever forget this is part of the larger effort to fight Republicans, stop the occupation, restore fiscal sanity to government, provide decent health care to Americas, raise stagnant wages and bring back habeas corpus.