IT ONLY HURTS WHEN YOU BREATHE / David Podvin [View All]

[Caro]

IT ONLY HURTS WHEN YOU BREATHE



By David Podvin

Roe v. Wade is the revolutionary declaration that defies history to assert women are not brood mares. Although the issue is misrepresented as being exclusively about abortion, the real point of contention has always been female autonomy. Distaff independence is a frighteningly subversive concept so religious traditionalists have waged a terrorist campaign that has effectively negated Roe in most of America. Now, federally guaranteed reproductive freedom will be officially confiscated, the victim of Republican malevolence and Democratic indifference. Soon, other protections for the traditionally oppressed will experience a similar fate courtesy of the Roberts Court…

On the votes that involved the very biggest of issues - the Iraq War and the Supreme Court – eight Senate Democrats aligned with the liberal base: Barbara Boxer, Mark Dayton, Dick Durbin, Ted Kennedy, Barbara Mikulski, Jack Reed, Paul Sarbanes, and Debbie Stabenow. These are the only senators who voted against invading Iraq and against the Roberts nomination and against invoking cloture on the Alito filibuster, three matters of paramount importance to progressives. By contrast, every Republican senator except one hewed the right wing line…

The relentless treachery of establishment Democrats makes it tempting to become an independent. Sadly, forsaking the party is impractical because no other organization has the potential to stem the right wing tide. And while most Democratic politicians deserve to be abandoned, the liberal base does not. Rank and file Democrats are the Americans who care about bettering humanity. The moral imperative to protect these good people dictates waging a steep uphill fight against the corrupt party power structure.

While this is not the time to quit it also not the time to be delusional. The party’s perpetual cheerleaders have already issued their pep talks, the ones that implore fellow Democrats who are understandably despondent to “be proud that at least our heroes tried to filibuster” and to “fight harder than ever for our great party!” Yet is highly inappropriate to be perky in the face of tragedy, and it is always inappropriate to be estranged from reality. Any rational person realizes that surrendering the high court to reactionaries is an act of betrayal that merits profound bitterness.

It also merits retribution. The retributive process begins in Connecticut, where liberal Ned Lamont is preparing a primary challenge to the Republicans’ very own comfort woman, Joe Lieberman…

Rather than wallowing in victimization, liberal activists should now take Fredo for a boat ride…

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And here’s another good idea. Let’s start a “Not another Nickel” campaign. Refuse to contribute to any PAC that won’t promise never to donate to any member of The Cloture 19.

Carolyn Kay
MakeThemAccountable.com