Now if you think I have it in for Republicans, you’d be right. There are some Democrats I’m none too pleased with either. “Harry ‘n Nancy, you got some splainin to do.’ Don’t even get me started on Lieberman. I was never a big fan of the Clinton’s though I have a much higher opinion of them now that I did eight years ago. Until Sarah Palin came along, I still had a negative opinion of Hillary. She did after all do what McCain did to become a Senator. Each moved to a state that required almost no residency requirements to run. John “Get-off-my-lawn” McCain became the carpetbagger Senator from Arizona, and Hillary “I dodged bullets in Tuzla” Clinton became the carpetbagger Senator from New York. Should we blame them for taking advantage of a state? Or should we blame the state for allowing that to happen? Both I think, but more blame on the states.
I am willing to give Hillary a chance to prove herself as Secretary of State. I know she’ll do a heckuva lot better job than Condi. I know. The bar’s been set pretty low. Anyway, back to the Republicans. Phil Gramm was instrumental in helping to destroy our economy by deregulating the futures market. Not only did he make it possible for Enron to do what they did. But he made it possible for corporations to Enron the whole country. Sadly, this law was passed under Clinton and not Bush. There are few Republicans lower in my opinion than him. Dick Cheney is one of them.
You might be wondering why I am a Democrat now. They are less evil, but more importantly progressives are taking over in the same way as the evangelicals co-opted the Republicans. we are pushing the Democrats to do the rights thing for America. However, instead of a force for evil, we are a force for good. I know that sounds hokey, but I didn’t have time for something more nuanced.
Where’s the headline? I’m getting there. In fact I have only one:
Leahy Calls for Truth Commission…Why?
(It should really titled 101 ways Republicans screwed America)
http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2009/2/9/17620/73749/286/695360
Here’s seven reasons:
Republicans started spying on American Citizens before 9/11. And as recent revelations confirm, spied on ALL Americans. The Republicans did this with no due process, no probable cause and no warrants. The Republicans established Gitmo. The Republicans thus dissolved Habeas Corpus, the basis of all law in Western Civilization, and began to torture the detainees. Many of which have been proven to be innocent…and in the process established the number one recruiting cause of an entire generation of new terrorists. Number one anyway, until the Republicans transported their torture techniques and regimen from Gitmo….to Abu Ghraib. Which brings us to…the Republicans invaded Iraq. Widely viewed as the greatest foreign policy blunder in American history, the Republicans are directly responsible for the deaths of up to a million Iraqis…and over 4000 dead American soldiers and tens of thousands of wounded ones.
That’s not the America I grew up in. Yes, America has had many dark chapters in it’s history (e.g. Trail of Tears, Japanese internment), but it’s always pushed forward with the ideas of liberty, equality and justice for all. It’s got a long way to go to live up to them, but let’s not let the Republicans destroy it.