Arianna Huffington: Democratic Dinosaurs Turn D.C. into the Land That Time Forgot

[babylonsister]

http://www.commondreams.org/archive/2007/06/12/1819/

Democratic Dinosaurs Turn D.C. into the Land That Time Forgot
by Arianna Huffington

With each passing day, Washington, D.C. is turning into the Land That Time Forgot.

While the rest of the country is dealing with the here and now — exemplified by Bush’s puny approval ratings and this new poll showing rural voters turning against the GOP’s handling of Iraq — the Beltway’s Democratic dinosaurs are acting like it’s 2002. For them, Bush still has credibility on Iraq, Democrats still need to tread lightly in opposing the war for fear of alienating red state and swing voters, and Iraq is still a right vs left issue.

The latest proof that Tyrannosaurus Democrat is not an extinct species comes in the fossilized thinking of Stuart Rothenberg, editor of The Rothenberg Political Report. Writing in Roll Call, the Cro-Magnon pundit waxed ecstatic over Congressional Democrats’ handling of the war funding issue, spinning the Dems’ capitulation as having “played the issue like a Stradivarius,” and proclaiming: “From a purely political point of view, Democrats had their cake and ate it too.”

Rothenberg’s piece is so confounding, it might have been written by David Chase. But the screen abruptly going to black would be preferable to a mindset that completely and totally (and even gleefully) buys into the Republican framing on the war — namely, that pushing to bring the troops home is somehow not supporting the troops.

This sclerotic framing is wrong on every level: moral, strategic, and psychological.

You want a snapshot of immorality in action? Look no further than this bloodless analysis of the ultimate political question of life and death as nothing more than a question of tactics. “Why take a chance alienating swing voters,” ask Rothenberg, “when the party already made its point by sending the president a deadline bill that he voted?” How about because a deadline bill is the right bill for the country — and without it there will be hundreds more dead young Americans, and a less safe future for our children?

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[William769]

1. This coming from some who use to be a right wing whore.

Go figure.

[Phredicles]

2. And yet she's spot on here.

[Tom Joad]

3. Arianna just doesn't understand... with Bush's incredible popularity Dems can't

have to be careful, with what, 2/3 of those poll saying they approve of the way Bush is doing his job. We all saw the wild crowds around him the other day in Albany. the people love him!
And they love this war.

:sarcasm:

[Demeter]

5. Tom, That Was Albania, Not Albany!

And they stole his watch and whistled derisively at him.

[William769]

6. Wheres Dan Quayle when you need him!

:rofl:

[leftchick]

4. At this point it is not political consideration leading the dems

they are not scared of bush, it isn't 2002, they know how unpopular he and the war are, they are not that fucking DUMB! It has everything to do with those DLC/AIPAC Dems and their love of war, and corporate profits. They DO NOT WORK FOR US!

[sallyseven]

7. The American people wiould not stand for

funds being cut off. They would poop their draws. Polls have said much of the same. We want out but don't defund the troops. The repukes and demos know this. The dems would be in trouble more than they are now. All bush needs to do is scare them again and they will fall in to line. He will you know. Watch for something bad along around august or sept.

[necso]

8. It'll probably take several cycles to

make systemic changes to the business-as-usual culture. (And that only if momentum can be built/sustained in this course.)

Along this line, it's important to have candidates who aren't just poseurs who will say anything to get elected -- then do otherwise. (It's a matter of character, justified confidence.)

A common interest, hopefully.

[Hissyspit]

9. .