Democratic members of Congress, in lockstep with Republicans, continue to blindly support the war. Even the most liberal say we need to git tougher in Iraq rather than admit the obvious, that the US is losing. The public is increasingly opposed to the war yet elected Democrats ignore them, instead calling for more and more vicious war.
Why this disconnect between the populace and the elected? More and more it seems a class system where the wealthy millionaires in Congress support their own class and ignore everyone else. This even applies to Senators supposed to be the great progressive hope.
What does Obama have to say about George W. Bush’s latest speech on the Iraq War?
Obama waxes hawkish:”I believe the president must take a realistic look at our current strategy and reshape it into an aggressive and workable plan that will ensure success in Iraq”
In other words, No Exit.
Just like the Republicans. Well, maybe not, maybe worse…
Democrats still not seen as alternative
Though 56% of Americans say the country is headed in the wrong direction, a new Democracy Corps poll also shows that voters have more positive feelings about Republicans. Specifically, 43% of voters favor the Republican Party, while 38% had positive feelings about Democrats.
The Christian Science Monitor quotes pollster Stan Greenberg: “Republicans weakened in this poll… but it shows Democrats weakening more.” Greenberg attributes the decline to the perception that Democrats have “no core set of convictions or point of view.”
However this would be the Beltway Democrats, the elected Congresscritters, etc. Out in the real world plenty of Democrats are outraged and mobilizing, the grassroots organization Democrats.com, “the Aggressive Progressives”, among them.
They are partners in AfterDowningStreet.org.
AfterDowningStreet.org is a coalition of veterans’ groups, peace groups, and political activist groups, which launched on May 26, 2005, a campaign to urge the U.S. Congress to begin a formal investigation into whether President Bush has committed impeachable offenses in connection with the Iraq war
From their listserv today:
Fifty-two Congress Members have filed a Freedom of Information Act request to the White House, the Department of Defense, and the Department of State seeking any and all documents and materials concerning the Downing Street Minutes and the lead up to the Iraq war.
Prime Minister Tony Blair has confirmed the authenticity of the Downing Street Minutes.
A Zogby poll has found that 42 percent of Americans would favor impeachment proceedings if President Bush misled the nation about his reasons for going to war with Iraq. Imagine where that figure will be after the public learns about the Downing Street Minutes!.
All of this is good, if belated. Antiwar activists knew before the war started that Bush was lying and that it was a predetermined setup. All the information was already out there. One hopes Democrat activists will be able to force their elected officials to oppose the war, to show they actually have a “core set of convictions” they will fight for. But opposition to the war shouldn’t degenerate into a partisan fight because Democrats have voted for the war nonstop and continually too. The opposition needs to realize this duopoly is the problem and that real change happens when, like in the Vietnam War, elected officials can no longer ignore the will of the people.