These Are Our Democrats?

What an exciting group of Democrat candidates for President we have been gifted! Where do I start in extolling the glories of such worthy politicians. If ever such a noble and unselfish group has gathered before, I know not. A collection of statesman minded individuals that without question any would be an improvement over our current occupant on Pennsylvania Ave.

Hardly. Their almost uniform position on the Iraq War is so betraying to the grand traditions of America that it should not only be an embarrassment to us, but should rouse the ire of unfulfilled expectation. Since when did we become a nation of losers?

Perception is reality. My perception is that all these Democrats would want us to retreat from Iraq and take the loss. Is that an accurate assessment?

That's crazy. What good comes from that?

Oh, without a doubt, Bush has mismanaged this war and its his war, and most of all that criticism heaped upon him. But I got old news that is still relevant, we are all in this together.

Although many would like to have it otherwise, America is in Iraq as one America, there is no George Bush vs Iraq and the terrorist, its all of US. When Terrorist target our citizens and landmarks, they don't discriminate between the doves and the hawks.

If Bush would resign tomorrow morning or if this war persist past his last scheduled day in office its makes no difference. The endgame in Iraq is important and we are in this together, and that is a serious consideration, and its high time the outcome is taken seriously.

I hear more and more people lament the tragedy in Dafur. They want to do something, they think the US should do something. Dafur is the epitome of what international liberal ideology had been designed for -- to stop senseless human tragedies.

For liberals sake, what have you considered will happen in Iraq if the US should pull out? Is this what liberalism has devolved to here, thoughtless retreat?

I'm not even treading on new arguments to combat this thought process that thinks our withdrawal from Iraq is all that is needed for a more peaceful world. Its an old argument, but one that not any of the candidates from the left for President has addressed as yet. I mean seriously address.

What's their endgame plan? What is the message we send the world? Having witnessed the Bush Administration allow his opponents to define his endeavors in the world , I'm not too keen on repeating that again, and also compounding the problem by heaping a self-inflicted defeat in Iraq and a humanitarian crisis there into the mess. That seems senseless to me.

Maybe its a generational difference in perceptions. I didn't experience Vietnam, so perhaps I should count my blessings. From my point of opinion, anything less than victory is unacceptable. America is about strength and getting the job done, not leaving problems, but cleaning up problems. I don't like us being the policeman of the world, but we have an obligation to finish what we started. Who's going to clean up for us?

I think defeat is too readily palatable for too many of my seniors. Having Vietnam imprinted in their world view, they are too ready to quit when the going gets tough, or sadly, when the going gets going by a Republican.

I can take redeploying our troops in Iraq, but its a non starter for me to begin that end by succumbing to political pressures. We lifting some heavy stones over there, we paid a dear price. I think we can make a statement and stand on those accomplishments while at the same time putting the lead ball of failure on the Iraqi people and government for not taking advantage of the gift they have been given.

Some say liberals want America to fail, it does make me wonder about that when we are in this unenviable position of working toward cleaning up a mess we created in Iraq but the left just wants to walk away, while at the same time they are clamoring for intervention in Dafur, intervened in Yugoslavia, and would free Tibet.

On Compromises and Betrayal

In the wake of the recent cave in, er compromise, between the President and the Congressional Democrats regarding Iraq War funding and the question of a time line for a troop withdrawal I began to wonder about the pressures the peace crowd is putting on the Democrats and I then began to think of how little the shortcomings and or down right betrayals of the Party on the fold has had little affect on voter loyalty made manifest in the ballot box.

I was trying to think of a time in the political world in my lifetime when or where there was a cost to bear on the party for their multitude of unfulfilled promises. I thought of one time when the price was paid, although I can recollect many times when a bill, or lack thereof, was present.

The Democrat majority paid a price in 1994 when they lost their hold on power in D.C., but that was also after more than 40 years of running roughshod over the minority, and it seems that since then loyalty has only gotten stronger.

Naturally, the minority party gets not only its core voters but also an underdog minded segment of voters who will vote against whomever is in power, but in my lifetime it appears that there is seemingly no sin that would shake a large majority of Democrats from voting for the party. These are a group that has earned the name "Blue Dog Democrat" because they would certainly vote for a blue dog in an election if the bitch(couldn't resist) ran as a Democrat.

But that is old news, most people know this, and it does cut both ways, to a certain degree. However I could list many Republicans and conservatives who have ran afoul of their base, and subsequently I witnessed that base turn from the party. Bush the elder, and the GOP last year immediately come to mind, and its no stretch to name two handfuls more.

This is in reality a strength of the GOP that trims the party of dead wood, so that despite efforts to embellish the smears, no one in the GOP measures down to Ted Kennedy(man-slaughter) or Robert Byrd(long time KKK member).

The news yet to be written is that like a VA hospital threaten with closure, coincidentally in the same year a powerful congress person is up for re-election, a save will be made. Before the next national campaign I wouldn't doubt nor be surprised if Pelosi, Bush, and Reid all made nice again only with the legislature claiming an accomplishment to rally the base in an election year.

But it would be surprising if those who claim the label of liberal and who want to end the war today would actually demonstrate a little resolve themselves and abandon the party that had abandon them years ago.