I can't take the simpering Democratic Party any longer.
I have been a Democrat since I could first pull the lever on a voting machine. I have donated what I could afford every year to the Party and to candidates. Today, just after getting home from work, I received a call from the Democratic Senate Campaign Committee seeking a donation (some Dem senators would put in matching donations). For the first time I told them flat-out that I will not give them a dime. I'm finished giving the Dem Party money. I am willing to give individual candidates money, be they Dem or Green or Independent, but I will NOT give a dime to the Democratic Party.
I am finally fed up with a Party that continually falls down on its face, even when given repeated gifts from the GOP such as Delay's indictment, Frist's SEC investigation, Abramoff's nonsense, etc, to use as weapons. The Dems STILL lack a coherent and forceful voice. They STILL can't bring themselves to go on the offensive. Then there's the Iraq Debacle and the Supreme Court insanity.
I was against that crap from day one. I couldn't see any connection whatsoever to 9/11, no matter how many times Bush repeated the lie about a connection. The Dems fell all over themselves to throw Senate responsibility out the window and give Bush a blank check on the so-called "War on Terror". Too many voted for the nefarious "Patriot Act" as out of fear of being called "unpatriotic". Cowardly and disgusting. The Dems are STILL spouting nonsense about Iraq that boils down to, essentially, "Stay the course".
Now, initially, I thought that even though I was adamantly against the war in the first place, seeing only Afghanistan as a legitimate target for military action, we had a responsibility to repair Iraq as much as possible before we got the hell out. We really wrecked the place. The least we could do was set as much to rights as possible rather than just handing the Iraqis the keys to a house that is now rubble. Such a feeling lasts only so long, however, and there comes a time when, if you are really bungling the job of repairing the damage so as to keep making it worse, that you have to simply say "sorry" and let them do what they need to do (because we sure as hell aren't doing anything useful). We are past that time. We are doing NOTHING for Iraq - it is too late and the damage we've done, diplomatically and physically, is too much to recover from. Just leave.
Nearly 2/3 of the country now thinks the Iraq Debacle was a mistake and they want us out sooner rather than later. The Dems STILL can't bring themselves to a coherent position on the war. Several of the likely Dem Presidential contenders for 2008 are themselves tainted with the stink of having signed that blank check for Bush on Iraq. They are lost and refuse to even try to come back. Cowards and ethical midgets, every one of them.
Finally, there is the Supreme Court. The Dems bend over and "save" the filibuster for use on Supreme Court nominees and the first thing they do when offered one is cave in and vote for him (Roberts). Twenty two Dems voted to confirm Roberts inspite of the fact that he refused to offer any substantive answers to any question that would illuminate his judicial philosophy. He refused to even offer up his opinion on past, settled cases that might also reflect his judicial philosophy. The Dems "demanded" Bush release critical documents on Roberts' work for Bush Sr and Jr while Roberts was working ON THE TAXPAYER DIME. These documents would have filled in at least some of the blanks on Roberts' philosophy or opinions and the Senate, in their advise and consent role were legitimately entitled to those documents. The PEOPLE were entitled to know more of Roberts. Bush refused, spitting in the face of the Senate. The Dems response? "OK, nevermind". The Leahy Democrats set a precedent that I KNEW Bush would take advantage of with his next nominee. The Dems had hamstrung themselves and couldn't NOT vote yes for another nominee that had no clear paper trail, refused to give substantive answers, and Bush could (and will) refuse to release any and all pertinent documents just as before.
The Dems have made a bed and now MUST lie in it. Hell, some Dems (Reid) have already come out OK on Mier. They're falling down again before there's been a hearing or any real information of import examined on her. Typical simpering weakness. There are a few things I simply cannot tolerate or forgive. Cowardice and indecisiveness are two of them and these two traits describe the Dems to a tee.
As soon as I can get to it, I will be changing my voter registration from Democrat to Independent. I will not necessarily NOT support any Democrat, but it will NOT be automatic and any and all my money I donate will be to individual candidates. Nothing for the Party. The Party doesn't really exist anyway. No narrative, no coherent strategy, no positions.
Come the elections next year, I will not do as I have in the past. I will not use the "vote straight Democrat" option. I will go down the list, position by position, and vote for whomever is NOT a Republican and SOMETIMES, perhaps, FOR a Dem, if the candidate deserves support. Come the 2008 elections, whether or not I vote for the Democratic Presidential nominee depends on whom it is. Hillary? No. Bayh? No. Biden? No. Gore? Yes, provided he campaigns with the same fire and life he has found since the 2000 election. I will no longer waste money or votes on people who stand for nothing and everything. I will no longer waste money or votes on people who are fearful of taking a stand or doing the truly right thing. Moral and ethical courage are required. Any cowtowing to corporate interests and pathetic half-measures isn't acceptable. It is what I despise and cannot tolerate: cowardly and indecisive.
Actions have consequences and the Democratic leadership MUST face real consequences. If anti-Republicans simply keep going along with the Dems because they are superficially NOT Republicans, then they will literally have no reason to change. They MUST be forced to change. No more free passes.