I just decided, upon reading about Senator Pat Leahy's defection on the John Roberts vote, that today's gonna be the day I leave the Democratic Party. I just can't take the spinelessness and cravenness anymore. It makes me ashamed of myself to be a Democrat. As a general life rule, I don't do things that I am ashamed to do. I don't associate with organizations that I am ashamed of.
Gonna walk down to the Post Office and fill out the form. Check the box reading "independent." Goodbye Democratic Party.
John Roberts sat there and stonewalled the Senate's questions. The White House withheld the documentation that Senate Democrats requested. And even so, it is clear that over half of the members of my soon-to-be-former party in the Senate will vote for confirmation anyway, including the guy Dick Cheney told to go fuck himself.
Pass the extra strength Excedrin.
I agree completely with Armando's statement about what this latest Democratic surrender means -- that Bush can nominate whomever he wishes for the SCOTUS and the Dems will bend over and pass the vaseline jar.
I have voted straight-ticket Democrat for years, despite strong dissatisfaction with the resoluteness, resolve, and spine of the Democratic Party. During the 2004 election cycle, I was the fucking high priestess of straight-ticket Democratic voting. True, I reasoned, they kind of suck, but they are the only bulwark we have against the Republican Party.
Over the last few weeks, it has become clear that the Democrats are a bulwark against absolutely nothing. No issue is too small or large for them to show their cowardice on. We desperately need an opposition party to slow down the rogue elephant Republicans, but the Dems are UNWILLING to perform as an opposition party. Even when Bush's polls show him to be weak, these Dems are too cowardly to oppose him. I don't believe they are UNABLE to oppose the Republican behemoth (although, being outnumbered, I realize they are limited in what they can actually DEFEAT with their opposition), but that they are UNWILLING to do so.
For these reasons, I am embarrassed to be a Democrat. I've been embarrassed to be a Democrat for YEARS. There's something about voting for representatives who have shit on their faces from kissing so much Republican ass that just makes me feel like I need to take a fucking shower.
And then there's that sinking, betrayed feeling I get when I see not one or two, but HORDES of Dems vote for legislative dogshit like the bankruptcy bill. It's kind of like the feeling you get when you come home early from work unexpectedly and find your boyfriend in bed with some bimbo. I'd like to think my self esteem is strong enough that I wouldn't put up with that shit from either my boyfriend OR my fucking legislator.
I will continue to vote for Democrats who I feel have earned my vote or are likely to earn my vote. But my days of straight-ticket Democratic voting and my days of identifying myself with the Democratic Party are OVER.