Why I Support The "Bush Dogs" Effort - It's About Ds Acting Like Ds
I do realize that any post that defends anything that Bowers or Kos or apparently any other national blog is going to be met with resistance. After seeing that opposition over and over, I always wonder if it is well-founded or just a knee-jerk reaction to past events...
I was glad to read about the "Bush Dog" campaign that OpenLeft launched today. I have had more than enough of Democrats who incessantly put political expediency ahead of Democratic principals time after time. We have seen a lack of spine from Democrats in Congress over and over and over.
Principal vs. Politics
As someone who has been a full-time staffer on more than one campaign, I do have an appreciation for the balance between acting on principal and acting out of political necessity. But I have a question for those who support political expediency in this case:
What are you willing to justify in the name of politics? A vote for the Iraq war? Vote for warranteless wiretapping? Vote for torture? How about a war with Iran if it were popular and politically easy?
I don't know about the rest of you, but I consider myself a progressive Democrat. And if history is any judge of the definition of "progressive", it has partially meant taking a stand on principal when that stand wasn't popular.
A lack of "progressive backbone" has been lacking among some Democrats in Congress, but I will go further than that. As one branch of three in the government, Congress has an ethical responsibility to try to reign-in the executive when it "goes off the deep end."
Scruitny like this effort is a good thing and is apparently necessary to let Dems know that people even on their ideological side are going to hold them accountable for their actions. Or is that just for Republicans?
A few other notes:
I was glad to read about the "Bush Dog" campaign that OpenLeft launched today. I have had more than enough of Democrats who incessantly put political expediency ahead of Democratic principals time after time. We have seen a lack of spine from Democrats in Congress over and over and over.
Principal vs. Politics
As someone who has been a full-time staffer on more than one campaign, I do have an appreciation for the balance between acting on principal and acting out of political necessity. But I have a question for those who support political expediency in this case:
What are you willing to justify in the name of politics? A vote for the Iraq war? Vote for warranteless wiretapping? Vote for torture? How about a war with Iran if it were popular and politically easy?
I don't know about the rest of you, but I consider myself a progressive Democrat. And if history is any judge of the definition of "progressive", it has partially meant taking a stand on principal when that stand wasn't popular.
A lack of "progressive backbone" has been lacking among some Democrats in Congress, but I will go further than that. As one branch of three in the government, Congress has an ethical responsibility to try to reign-in the executive when it "goes off the deep end."
Scruitny like this effort is a good thing and is apparently necessary to let Dems know that people even on their ideological side are going to hold them accountable for their actions. Or is that just for Republicans?
A few other notes:
- The list is only preliminary. They're only looking for people to do some more research.
- The "Bush Dogs" program isn't a declaration of war, an invitation for a primary challenge, or a threat. See "knee-jerk" comment above.
- "Bile?" Seriously? Dialing Dr. Hyperbole
- Is it fair to say holding Democrats accountable is really going to give the house back to Boehner? Really? Me thinks not. I guess we shouldn't complain no matter how Dems vote. ;)
Spelling
Submitted by Anonymous on Thu, 08/23/2007 - 1:39pm.
"principle" is the word you're looking for: "core belief".
"principal" is the guy who runs a school, or the amount of money lent in a mortgage, or the "most important" or "first" point.
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Opinion
Submitted by Anonymous on Thu, 08/30/2007 - 11:56am.
Holding one's representative accountable should be for all citizens. Unfortunately that would be the same as expecting a vast majority of the registered voters to actually bother to vote, much less get educated then vote. Apathy in the American citizen has created the most bloated, self preserving, self serving government this country has ever seen.
In short, as the two major parties continue to get closer and closer in their own self interest at the expense of the American people, we will need some sort of external catalyst to get the voters to wake up and take career politicians of any color to task for their actions on in our name.
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