If you have spoken to many liberals between the ages of 50 and 65 you will surely hear about the evils of Richard Nixon. These liberals will go on about Watergate, bombing Cambodia and of course all the dirty tricks and lying. But the one fact that proves Nixon was evil is that he prolonged the Vietnam War until after the 1972 election in the cynical belief that it would ease his reelection. 20 years later and you will hear Republicans saying that George H. W. Bush lost the 1992 election because he ended the Gulf War too soon.
Soldiers die in wars. Innocent civilians die in wars. Prolonging a war for political and electoral advantage is immoral.
Now Consider the Democratic led Congress. Speaker Pelosi and Senator Reid are ready to approve more funding for the Iraq War without any meaningful legislation to end the war. The Democrats are doing this in hopes of capturing the Presidency and larger majorities in the Senate and House in the 2008 election.
Thus I pose this question: Morally, what is the difference between the political calculations of Richard Nixon prolonging the Vietnam War and the Democratic Leadership prolonging the Iraq War for political gain? Very simply, None At All.
I am a Democrat and a liberal. I am the chairperson of a local Democratic club in Austin, TX and the local Democratic Precinct Chair. When it comes to Democratic electoral campaigns, I am a part of the grassroots and boots on the ground. We often hear about the importance of the political base, I am an active member of the Democratic base.
I’ve been active in local Democratic politics and campaigns for 5 years. In that time I have come to know many Democrats. Typically, Democratic campaigns do not have the cash like the Republicans, but make up for it with dedicated volunteers. These are the people who get Democrats elected. Some are rich but most are not. Some wear suits and some look like dirty hippies. For all the differences, they all have one thing in common, they are good people. They care about their community, their state, their country and their fellow human beings. I can safely say that as a group, these are the most moral people I have ever met. Like me, these other Democrats are also the base.
Should the Democratic leaders choose to prolong the Iraq War for political reasons, I have no choice but to leave the Democratic Party. Prolonging the war for political gain is an immoral act and I will not support it. I will point this out, loudly, to all the Democratic activists that I know.