[cross-posted from
The Left Coaster]
One of the reasons I won't watch the State of the Union address occurs even before the first lie is told by Bush: all the Democrats will stand and applaud as the war felon enters the chamber. It's considered extremely bad form to disrespect the President and not show a sense of "bipartisanship" when he enters.
The fawning sycophancy from the gerrymandered, spineless Democrats sends a hugely loud and clear message on national television: we are weak ass-kissers.
Consider this: if the Democrats had not rolled over and played dead for Ashcroft, tax cuts and the war, do you really think Bush would ever dare to wreck Social Security this term?
DC Democrats desperately need to sends a message to their base and the country: none of the Bush agenda is going to pass this year. None of it. An excellent way to do that is at Bush's crowning moment of glory at his fifth State of the Union address: refuse to stand and applaud when he enters the chamber. It's simple, dramatic, ruins his awful theater on national television, and gives the Democrats spine practice.
Of course the Republicans their stooges in the media will sputter and scorn and criticize. So? They do precisely the same thing when the spineless Democrats try to get along. All the leadership has to do is issue the following press release when the barrage starts:
When the President runs for re-election and never says a word about Social Security yet makes trashing it with horrible lies his highest second term priority, we will not stand and applaud.
When the president lies to start a war that kills 1342 American service people, wounds 10,252, kills at least 40,000 Iraqis, costs $200 billion, totally humiliates the United States and still goes on this very day, well, we will not stand and applaud.
When there are fewer private sector jobs after four years of incredibly reckless borrowing that finally, once and for all, proves that tax cuts for wealthy don't do squat but make the rich richer, we will not stand and applaud.
When the President becomes a war felon by authorizing torture and then nominates the felon who rationalized it for Attorney General, we will not stand and applaud.
When the President lies through his teeth about drug prices and forces through a bill that does nothing but pay off his cronies in pharma, we will not stand and applaud.
When the President runs the most dishonest, vicious campaign in history with multitudes of voter rights abuses and millions of votes that cannot be verified in any way, we will not stand and applaud.
Y'all get the idea. The press release could easily contain 100 points that are just as egregious to American principles and our cherished way of life.
This is painful to write and accept, but Democrats are losers on the national political stage. Part of the reason they got that way is this ridiculous defensiveness and timorous support for what they stand for, and a disastrous effort to be "bipartisan." That bipartisanship simply made them appear weak and let them be manipulated into the horror show that our politics is today.
It's also manifestly depressed and discouraged the democratic base. We're constantly told to stand and fight, don't go away and let Bush do it, but it's extremely hard to do when the representatives of the national party roll over and lose every term.
Democrats need spine practice, lots of it. It will strengthen their legislative stance, send a great message to the country and the base, and manifestly discourage the republicans as they realize they're up against real fighters. Think of it--when Bush enters the chamber and 45% is silent and unmoving he'll know that instant his dream to trash Social Security is over. There are great risks for the Republicans here, and if they know they can't ever get it out of the Senate they won't even try.
Golly gee. Just from one act of defiance on national television Social Security is saved. That's what happens when one tries a little spine practice.