Hi friends,
I did a longer version of this diary a while back, when it was less timely. But after reading Harry Reid's speech today, I've revised and excerpted a portion of it.
I thought Reid delivered a maginificent speech today: eloquent, intelligent, full of passion and hitting every point he needed to hit.
Except one. At least one I'd love to see him or some other Dem leaders get out there, in regards to the nuclear option.
more on the B-side...
Picture Reid or some other Dem playuh saying something...well, a little like this, to Frist and his fellow Repugs:
***
We've tried to negotiate with you in good faith, but in return we've had OUR faith repeatedly insulted and maligned by your leaders. Your response has been that those of us who won't go along with 100% of what Republicans want are somehow evil people, and must be dealt with by giving us no voice in our government, or even -- you've more than hinted -- by violence. This, despite the fact that we represent the votes of over half the people in this great nation. You are determined to push through your "nuclear option" and make this a one-party government.
Well, OK.
We have promised to fight this, your most recent power grab, with every fiber of our beings. And we will. And we'll continue to fight every one of your attempts to make this a government of the Republican party, by the Republican party and -- mostly -- FOR the Republican party and the people who bankroll it.
But IF you succeed with your "nuclear option" -- we stand here today to give you this very solemn promise. Please listen carefully:
Not only will we grind business to halt in the Senate, and derail your legislative agenda -- which is terrible for the working people of America anyway...
But IF you break this rule to grab even more power, we Democrats promise you -- we GUARANTEE -- that we will not fix it for you when -- yes, WHEN -- we are the majority again. You will have to live with the system you demanded.
And we WILL be the majority again, very soon. Please don't kid yourselves into believing otherwise. With your inept economic leadership, your trashing of America's standing in the world, your contempt for the privacy rights of American citizens, your dishonest governance at every level, and with your leadership steeped in corruption -- well, the days of Republican leadership are drawing very quickly to an end.
And then you will be stuck with this one-party system you've set in place. Every rule you have bent, every power grab you've made -- we'll keep them in effect. But you will now be on the other end. And don't count on us to fix it for you, because we won't. We'll be too busy cleaning up the mess you've made of this country.
And when you whine about it on Fox News, we will remind you of this day, and we'll say: "But this is what you wanted! This was the stand you took! This is what you value! Remember?"
And when you stammer, "but...but..."...well, then you'll have exposed that you really never had any values at all, except your own lust for power. Because you're either lying about your principles now, or you'll be lying then. And at that point we'll tell you to sit down, and think about that for a while, and get back to us when and only when you're ready to help us fix the country and make it great again.
So I want everyone to remember this time, this day, when we Democrats control Congress again, and you Republicans inevitably cry "unfair" about not getting a seat at the table. We'll be happy to pull out all the many quotes and clips and remind you, and the press, and the people, who decided it was good to do business like this. You will have to live with the system you set up, and you'll have to like it. 'Cause we won't be helping you out of it.
That's a promise.