While the rest of the pack talks and panders and bickers and poses, Chris Dodd takes the time to step away from the Iowa circus and actually work for the good of the people. And who is he working against? George W. Bush and Harry Reid. Now that, Mr. Lieberman, is non-partisan. Something for Connecticut to be proud of.
But that's the trouble with Joe Lieberman, and by extension, with the Beltway handwringers who worship him. Joe doesn't want non-partisanship; he wants bi-partisanship.
While I was watching the Dodd filibuster with other blogging types at First Draft, I made the remark that "bi-partisanship is nothing to be proud of - it's like being half a criminal." I do believe that all remaining elected Republico-Fascists are part of a criminal enterprise, but there's something else there that might be worth exploring.
Here's the thing. The way the Washington "centrists" use the word "bi-partisan," it only means one thing: Move away from American ideals and the rule of law, and towards a right-wing extremist view that less than 25% of Americans agree with. They never, ever expect the Republics to move towards the Democratic side, do they? Can you imagine Joe Klein or David Broder weeping and wailing that the Republics are not moving far enough to the left to accommodate the Democrats? It is to laugh, and cry.
True bi-partisanship - both parties working together for the betterment of America and its people - would be a wonderful thing. Unfortunately for America, the Republic Party is currently taking its pages from the Nazi playbook. They are spying on us; rendering and torturing us; disappearing us; creating a media of pro-Establishment propagandists; empowering the Executive beyond all reasonable interpretation of the law; stealing our elections; invading countries on false premises to steal their resources/gain power in the region; and on and on. To expect the Republics to work towards the good of America at this point, as the Liebermans of the world appear to do, is to be either completely partisan, or completely paid off (not necessarily mutually exclusive, of course).
Since bi-partisanship is not possible at this point, what we should be striving for - and what I believe we really want - is NON-partisanship. There are certain American goals that, in a sane world, should be beyond political affiliation. They are outlined in the Preamble to the Constitution, which goes like this:
While I was watching the Dodd filibuster with other blogging types at First Draft, I made the remark that "bi-partisanship is nothing to be proud of - it's like being half a criminal." I do believe that all remaining elected Republico-Fascists are part of a criminal enterprise, but there's something else there that might be worth exploring.
Here's the thing. The way the Washington "centrists" use the word "bi-partisan," it only means one thing: Move away from American ideals and the rule of law, and towards a right-wing extremist view that less than 25% of Americans agree with. They never, ever expect the Republics to move towards the Democratic side, do they? Can you imagine Joe Klein or David Broder weeping and wailing that the Republics are not moving far enough to the left to accommodate the Democrats? It is to laugh, and cry.
True bi-partisanship - both parties working together for the betterment of America and its people - would be a wonderful thing. Unfortunately for America, the Republic Party is currently taking its pages from the Nazi playbook. They are spying on us; rendering and torturing us; disappearing us; creating a media of pro-Establishment propagandists; empowering the Executive beyond all reasonable interpretation of the law; stealing our elections; invading countries on false premises to steal their resources/gain power in the region; and on and on. To expect the Republics to work towards the good of America at this point, as the Liebermans of the world appear to do, is to be either completely partisan, or completely paid off (not necessarily mutually exclusive, of course).
Since bi-partisanship is not possible at this point, what we should be striving for - and what I believe we really want - is NON-partisanship. There are certain American goals that, in a sane world, should be beyond political affiliation. They are outlined in the Preamble to the Constitution, which goes like this:
We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.
Hmm. Unity. Justice. Peace. Security. Caring about the American people. Freedom.
Sounds pretty non-partisan to me.
1 comment:
tom tomorrow says it best
"Then the compromise is obvious - we'll stay in Iraq indefintely!"
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