Enough of the D.C. Dems

From the Progressive, uber-Texan Molly Ivins explains why the Democrats suck:

Mah fellow progressives, now is the time for all good men and women to come to the aid of the party. I don’t know about you, but I have had it with the D.C. Democrats, had it with the DLC Democrats, had it with every calculating, equivocating, triangulating, straddling, hair-splitting son of a bitch up there, and that includes Hillary Rodham Clinton.

I will not be supporting Senator Clinton because: a) she has no clear stand on the war and b) Terri Schiavo and flag-burning are not issues where you reach out to the other side and try to split the difference. You want to talk about lowering abortion rates through cooperation on sex education and contraception, fine, but don’t jack with stuff that is pure rightwing firewater.

I can’t see a damn soul in D.C. except Russ Feingold who is even worth considering for President. The rest of them seem to me so poisonously in hock to this system of legalized bribery they can’t even see straight.

Look at their reaction to this Abramoff scandal. They’re talking about “a lobby reform package.” We don’t need a lobby reform package, you dimwits, we need full public financing of campaigns, and every single one of you who spends half your time whoring after special interest contributions knows it. The Abramoff scandal is a once in a lifetime gift—a perfect lesson on what’s wrong with the system being laid out for people to see. Run with it, don’t mess around with little patches, and fix the system.

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Real Art blogger Miles writes in comments in response to what I wrote yesterday about how the Democrats seem ineffective at best and self-defeating at worst:

I have faith. You'll soon see why I'm still a Democrat.

Miles

Well, I hope so. However, I don't see anything happening at the national level to give me faith. The so-called liberal party continues to run like frightened rabbits from what they believe to be the successful right-wing demonization of the word "liberal." They may be right about the word itself, but not the principles for which the word stands: in poll after poll Americans support liberal ideas and policy, for everything from better wages and universal health care to withdrawal from Iraq and less corporate influence on government. Strangely, the Democrats seem to believe that most people are conservative, and strongly urge candidates to pander to the right. And most of them take that advice. What the hell kind of liberal party is that? The Democrats may very well be considered the opposition party, and that's nice and all, but how, exactly, do they oppose? In the grand scheme of things, a little rhetorical opposition doesn't really amount to much. A lot of rhetorical opposition might get them somewhere, but I'm just not hearing it. Why the hell are these guys so damned timid in their criticism of Republican America? Why aren't they breathing fire? Now is clearly not the time to worry about offending people--for that matter, such a fear has never held back the GOP, and its amazing that the Democrats haven't seen how successful that strategy's been.

Personally, I would love it if the Dems found some backbone and started really fighting the good fight, really became a liberal party. But as far as I can tell, these days the Democrats are simply an institution concerned mostly with preserving itself as an institution, the proverbial self-perpetuating bureaucracy--their inoffensive robotic technocrats are the perfect manifestation of such an institution. In the same way that Disney World has it's animatronic hall of Presidents, the Democrats offer animatronic candidates and policies, good enough to function publicly and sometimes even win, but without any life or soul.

Miles, how can you not be totally outraged with these guys? Every day that they don't call for Bush's impeachment is a kick in America's progressive crotch. Every day that they don't call Bush a criminal is a lie of omission. How can you support that?

Of course, you know, Miles, I still think you're a great guy.

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