Kos has given us his reality check, so now let me give you mine:
Roman law forbade any general from crossing the Rubicon River and entering Italy proper with a standing army. To do so was treason. The crossing of the Rubicon by Julius Caesar demonstrated one clear point: the Roman Senate was unable to enforce the law and defend the Republic from the advancement and susequent forcible domination of Rome by Caesar and his army. Similarly, the confirmation of Alito will have proven that the Democrats are completely unable to defend our rights and liberties from further encroachment by the radical Right and the imperialist Presidency that, like Caesar, has publicly admitted with his warrantless wiretaps and signing statements that he will not be bound by the constraints of the law. The rule of law and the adherence to it is, ultimately, the greatest defense a legislature (and the republic it institutionally represents) has from the rule of brute force.
What the situation with Alito demonstrates in stark relief for me is that Democrats are not willing to use what little power they DO have (ie. the filibuster) to put the brakes on the radical agenda now being pushed on the nation. If they won't even stand up for what they (supposedly) believe in as Democrats, then that begs a serious question:
When will they? "When Hell freezes over" would be my best guess at this point, so pardon me if I don't care to wait around that long. We seem to be headed there in a handbasket already anyway and global warming is just gonna make it just that much hotter.
In party fundraising appeals they ask us to send money to "help them defend the courts" from people just like Alito. They gain our support at the ballot box by saying "We as Democrats believe X, Y, and Z, and will use the power you give us with your vote to defend principles X, Y, and Z in the government," yet after sending that money (and vote) and the time comes for that defense to be mounted, they give us THIS??? Now, tell me why I am unjustified in believing that I have been cheated, lied to, swindled, and defrauded by the leadership of the Democratic party. If they can't even mount a political defense for the legacy of the American Revolution itself, for the ideals and principles our society was founded upon, then they can't be counted on to defend America, the country, because they clearly aren't defending "America," the ideal. It's just that simple.
President Lincoln said it best when he wrote to General George McClellan (paraphrased), "If you are not using the Army, might I borrow it for a while?" This is now how I feel about the Democrats today: If they aren't going to use their power to defend the Union, then what do they need it for? Might I borrow it for a while, and give it to my own General Grant who WILL kick some neo-confederate ass AND take names??? They say they are "keeping their powder dry," but firecrackers, much less gunpowder, would be an improvement at this point.
Robert Byrd has given speech after brilliant speech defending the Constitution and the hallowed traditions of the Senate. Yet, today he declared that he would vote to confirm Alito and undermine the very principles upon which a constitutional republic (and the power of the Senate) is ultimately based. His carrying around a pocket edition of the Constitution with him every day now seems particularly ironic and hypocritical.
As I look back on it all, I feel such a fool: This party hasn't mounted (and apparently won't mount) a decent defense of gay rights, women's rights, civil rights, labor rights, real religious freedom, our right to be free from warrantless searches and seizures, or our right to vote. Their leading lights (cough Clinton cough) support flag burning amendments to the Constitution. They support bankruptcy legislation that harms the middle class and the poor. They don't support real election reform nor have the spine to challenge Republican manipulation of elections. They support some ethics reforms, yet appoint Dems with ethical clouds over their head to lead the effort. And, they don't support the one thing that would really get to the heart of the problem: public financing for campaigns. The Democrats have certainly failed us, failed the constitution, and thereby failed to uphold their very oaths of public office. We call Bush an incompetent failure and demand accountability, but what of the failure of our own leaders in accepting that incompetence, much less the authoritarian agenda that comes with it? A failure on Alito is as damaging to the constitution and our liberties as the failure in Iraq is damaging to our national security. Does such a tremendous failure not deserve any accounting? The Democrats may indeed be fools for ever "trusting the adminstration" on Iraq or anything else, but who's the bigger fool: the fool or the fool who follows them? In this scenario, that would seem to be us. And yet we keep following.
So, if Alito is confirmed without a fight, then my own personal Rubicon will have been crossed and all bets are off. As soon as Alito is confirmed without a fight, I will cease to be a Democrat and will officially go "Indie". It may not be much, but it is what I CAN (and will) do. I will not give them money. I will not work in their campaigns, I will not go to meetings, or host house parties, phone bank or, well, anything else for them. My sincerest pangs of regret in this decision are for Howard Dean: It was for him and his sake that I stayed on after 2004. But, this failure of leadership (though on the part of others) will definitely be the last straw for me and my further support of the party as it is currently constituted.
I know the arguments against it. I've heard them all, including the most persuasive one: it will only strengthen the hand of the Republicans. Maybe in the short term, but then they appear to be strengthening their hand anyway, by hook or by crook. They already have absolute power EXCEPT for the filibuster (but threaten to gut it with the nuclear option if it is ever used), so how, exactly, their grip would get even stronger I don't truly know or understand when the current equation is that Republicans + Democratic collaborators = de facto Absolute Republican Power anyway. No, I don't have all the answers right now, but I do know that something has gotta give. Something has got to change. And that change necessarily has to start with myself and go from there. So, I'm changing.
No, a third party or independent candidate might not win. But at this point, I honestly don't care anymore. I voted for Dems to defend against the Republicans. But they cannot defend us. I'll still vote for Dems if there is a progressive Democrat to vote for, but otherwise, I'll support someone else, if that's an option. I am, finally, a person who believes in something: a vision of a just and fair America so powerful, I'd certainly die for it. But, it is now clear to me that many of these Democrats do not believe in anything strongly enough to even fight for it, much less die. In a very fundamental sense, that means that these so-called "leaders" do not represent me and who I am and what I love about this country. Thus, I can no longer in good conscience support them as leaders of these United States.
From now on, I vow that I'm going to use my vote and my money and my time to try and bring that vision of the American ideal into being. I will only support candidates who will at the very least TRY to defend me, who will fight for my rights, and who WILL uphold their oath to defend the constitution of the United States of America, in particular from the very real threat now posed by the Republican Right.
And that's my reality check.