I used to vote Republican when I was in the military; most did if they wanted their pay raised. I have voted Independent. I have voted for candidates from the Democratic Party. What I have not had is a "Party affiliation". You see, it comes down to the issues, ideology, and the Party actions in order for a person to want to be affiliated with a political party.
I just can't seem to find a Party to be affiliated with because I just can't be "one of the sheep" who follows along blindly...
The GOP? They lost me forever. Small government? Not when they created a brand new division of "Homeland Security". Lower taxes? Only for the rich. Keep the government out of our lives? I remember the Terri Shiavo fiasco and we can add to that warrantless wiretapping now. Help the military? The GOP votes against the veteran and military every chance they get. Economy? We are in the worst economy I have lived in since the 1970's. No, I won't pull the lever at the polling place for a Republican ever again.
The Democratic Party had to be better than the GOP. I hated Bill Clinton, but, I cannot deny that the economy he presided over was great. If you weren't a Republican and wanted "change", the Democratic Party was the way to go. So, I started reading the liberal and progressive blogs. I signed up at Daily Kos and started writing diaries.
Remember when Stephen Colbert went to the White House Correspondence Dinner and slammed everyone there? I remember. It was the first I had heard of "Stephen Colbert" and I was an instant fan. The man walked into a lions den, held his head up, and said exactly what needed to be said to the people in attendance; to include the President. Well, here I am, channeling Mr. Colbert.
The Democratic Party supports welfare programs. That is not a bad thing now that our economy is so bad; there are people, good people, who need the help. It is now the Democratic Party who are championing our military and veterans bills. Ok, so our taxes may go up so we can pay for the government programs, but, no person can live for long beyond their means. How can our government? Under Bill Clinton, our government was paid for, I had a job, I could afford to live, if only he had told the truth. It seems that the Democratic Party is for me, right? But, it's not.
I have had to fight during my life. When everyone else in our EOD shop in Turkey went along with the Superintendent's decision to continue a bad operation; I was the only one who stood up to him and said, "no". When I was a police officer and we weren't supposed to "hassle" the rich folks with something as trivial as following the law, I was the one who bucked that directive from our Patrol Commander and took the consequences. When my supervisors in Iraq (2006) pushed production to unsafe levels for handling ordnance and explosives, it was my lone voice that spoke up in opposition.
Sure, the Republicans fight tooth and nail for every scrap they get; but, they are fighting the wrong fight that helps the wrong people. The Democrats refuse to fight as they huddle in a corner using phrases like "we have to keep the powder dry". This Democratic Congress has not only capitulated to worst President ever, they fall all over themselves to do it in the hopes they won't have to fight some attack ad.
I try not to click on Redstate's website. Whenever I do it reminds me of a bunch of bullies on a school playground congratulating themselves on how they just took some kids lunch money. Worse, the truth means nothing for them.
I decided to run an experiment. I did a search here on Obama and FISA. Overwhelmingly, many here are upset about the Democratic capitulation and with Barack Obama. But, there were other things I found as well.
I'll start with Steven R. He wrote this diary about how it was time for Obama to "go to war" with the GOP. Yet, he posted this diary blasting Markos for withholding money from Obama when he wouldn't "go to war". Worse, he wrote this diary about how the GOP was gloating over the Democrats capitulation on war funding and demanded an explanation. There was this diary where he states he was all for political expediency, but, given the criminality of the Bush junta he was wrong and can't take it anymore. And, then we have this diary where he talks about living to fight another day, he only wishes we have a country to fight for at that time. Let's not be politically expedient, then defend it. Ask the candidate to go to war then decry another when the candidate doesn't. After a 2004 election loss, hope that we have a country left when we get the chance to fight again, then, when that time comes, when our constitution is again under attack, run to political expediency instead of fighting as he asked us to do. He wrote in his 2004 diary:
I will never blame us
I blame them
I blame those who allow themselves to vote on fear
I blame those who are too stupid to see reality
I blame our fellow countrymen, who vote on 'culture'
Here is a quote from his Markos rant diary:
Obama is clear on his desire to fix the bill.... he's crystal clear on his recognition of the problems with the bill.... and he's also clear on his intent to fix what damage may be caused by the bill once he's won office...
But, you see, Obama voted for the bill. The President can't "fix" a law; that is the job of Congress; of Senators just like Sen. Obama. President Obama can't fix it; Senator Obama could have fought it and didn't.
Next up we have Jim Bow. This 2005 diary talks about how the Democrats can take control of Congress because of all the issues going on. Well, they did take control of Congress. Then he writes this diary asking everyone to stop "the whining" about FISA:
Here's the bottom line about Obama's FISA cave:
There simply weren't 41 votes against cloture on the FISA bill. It's really that simple.
Because there were other Democrats who caved, it's understandable that Obama caved as well. He was just following the crowd, you see. It's not like Obama isn't in a position to be a leader, so, quit the whining! With so much going on, we can get an even bigger majority in Congress, and then, you wait and see! All we have to do is forget that only 28 Senators, Democratic and Independent, voted "no" on the FISA bill with 20 Democratic Senators voting for it.
It isn't just FISA where we can find people here who implore us not to fight; take impeachment. The Republicans impeached Bill Clinton for lying about a blowjob. But, we have atomchik telling us in this diary why it just wouldn't matter if we impeached Bush for his crimes after doing a diary on the Magna Carta, the document that gave us habeas corpus. We have snout telling us why we shouldn't impeach Bush and how our "job" is to elect Obama despite his vote on FISA:
The Constitution still stands - maybe a little more bruised than yesterday. But it has survived worse than this. Our job is to stay vigilant. As angry as some folks here are today, if you care at all about the Constitution you have one job and one job only for the next 4+ months. Elect Barack Obama and keep McCain away from it.
That's all fine and dandy, if we don't bring out this diary written by snout that says "Kossacks... where is your spine":
Our job is simple. Get out and work our asses off. Work like you've never worked before. Fight the messaging battles the same as you otherwise would - but never allow yourself to be disheartened by them or be too emboldened by them. There will be days a lot darker than this one coming and we need you to get out and organize twice as hard on those days. That's our secret weapon. That's the battleground we will win on.
So I'm asking you today the same thing I hope all of us will ask each other when we have to. Where's your spine? Are you ready to put it to the test?
So, we are only to have a spine if we work to elect a nominee, not to impeach a President who broke the law? Here I always thought you either had a spine or didn't. Who knew that a spine was able to be inserted and removed based on an issue?
I highlight the above posters and diaries to bring out a point: having principles shouldn't be negotiable based on a political party or candidate. You either believe what you believe or you don't. Why are those the only people or diaries posted here? Because I'm not spending a week and writing a 28 page diary. I am using them as a representation; I am calling out everyone who has compromised, who has "flip-flopped", who has tried to rationalize a candidate doing it. To be fair and illustrate my point, I will examine my own diary history.
My very first diary was about Bush's criminal behavior. I then wrote about my time in Iraq in 2006. I wrote about what laws were being used to stifle political dissent and protest. I have written about the GOP and Democrats. I have gone after Sen. Graham and The State newspaper in South Carolina that just cannot help being a GOP shill rag. I've been called a "conspiracy theorist" because I had the gall to write a few diaries asking questions people didn't want asked. I've written about the military, security issues, and ranted against abuses committed by law enforcement officers/officials. I've written on my depression, health care, and workers compensation. I've done my best to get civility and tolerance for having differing views with mixed results. What I have never done is compromised my beliefs.
I'm not a computer or internet wiz. I know that there is the IOKIYAR (It's ok if you are Republican), but, we can see the same mentality here at times. I'm actually really glad that Markos came out with the position he did on Obama. I had written a diary giving him pointers on how to flak a candidate in an interview. Markos makes it clear that he isn't here to flak a candidate unquestioningly. Good for him! Neither am I.
So, I went and looked at the Libertarian Party website. First thing I see is an article on how they are pissed off, like many of us here, about Congress, and Obama, capitulating to the worst President ever:
"Civil liberties were violated, and only 28 senators cared to see justice served," says Libertarian Party spokesperson Andrew Davis, "and Barack Obama was not one of them."
He's got a point. The Republicans and Democrats both failed our country on this vote. Because they have failed, we get the second article emphasizing the record low approval rating of Congress:
"Democrats have failed to deliver on their promises from 2006, backing down time and time again to a Republican Party hell-bent on increasing the power and scope of government," says Redpath. "Voters are tired of being shafted by our elected officials, and are demanding that real change be made--not just more empty, quixotic promises."
Another point made that was spot on; the Republicans had the power and abused it while the Democrats were given power and can't use it. Yeah, there are many who are pissed off and who do want real change. I happen to be one them.
Trying to stop another failed war, this time with Iran? They got it covered:
"Iran should not be the new Iraq," says Libertarian Party spokesperson Andrew Davis. "An attack on Iran would be like opening the Pandora's box of foreign policy. All the evils we've spent the last five years in Iraq trying to put back in the box would be unleashed all over again, and I fear this time the lid will never be able to be closed. Attacking Iran would be game over for our economy, our military readiness and the entire stability of the Middle East."
But, they are a bit isolationist for me:
The Libertarian Party believes that the United States should abandon its attempts to act as policeman for the world and avoid entangling alliances with other nations by eliminating economic and military aid. The Party believes that free trade and diplomacy are the best tools for ensuring an America that is at peace with the world.
I can agree that the United States isn't the world's police force; that's the United Nations job. I can get behind diplomacy being best foreign policy tool, but, free trade agreements as they were enacted have been a disaster for us economically. While I agree we shouldn't be giving out so much in economic/military aid to other countries, we also can't lock ourselves away from the world.
Can I get behind Bob Barr? No. Maybe if they had another candidate; I voted for Ross Perot. So, while I see some things I like in the Libertarian Party, I'm not sold.
It was almost a year ago to the day I asked in a diary I wrote why I should vote for Democratic in 2008. I asked:
I'm 40 years old. I will still be alive to see what is coming as will be my daughter, because, we don't have another 100 years... so, tell me again why I should vote for Democrats who sell our country down the river to the very destruction that even I see in our future?
Here we are, a year later, and 20 Democrats voted for a FISA bill that immunizes telecoms from civil lawsuits. Here we are, watching Democrats continue to fund the war in Iraq time and again. Here I am, back to trying to teach Democrats how to fight. I wrote that diary just over a year ago and ended with the following:
Be fair. Be willing to talk. Hold your ground. Never back down when you are in the right. If the Republicans want a fight you tell them how that fight is going to go. You do not issue threats; you tell them what you are going to do. If they push it, then you push back and you slam them as hard as you can. Once you do, you will never have to fight them again.
Or, you can just keep giving the American public excuses on why you won't fight... you can give come September... you can keep giving in... and come 2008... you can risk losing Congress.
I know I'm not the only one who is pissed off about it. I know there are many here who are just as pissed off. Many have woken up and that is why ActBlue was formed. Short of all out revolution, maybe this is the only way we have left to retake our government; letters do no good, phone calls do no good. It is money that talks. In my time here at Daily Kos, I see Markos has learned it as he has gone from just getting Democrats elected to elect Democrats who will fight for us and not reward bad Democrats.
One of the comments I get usually goes along the lines of, "so, what are you doing other than writing diaries?" I wrote so many letters to my editor they don't even respond to me anymore. I wrote so many letters to Sen. Graham that in 2006, my name was suddenly purged from the voter roll in South Carolina and I was forced to file a provisional ballot. I decided that if I couldn't make a difference anywhere else, I surely could back in Iraq and I tried to get into the National Guard knowing I'd be sent back to Iraq, back injury and all. I have stood on a street corner with a sign in protest. I think I've done more than some. So, yes, I am pretty well reduced to writing diaries.
One comment I got asked that I try to make constructive suggestions. Sure, here it is; fight and never compromise your principles. Right now there is a diary on the rec list that has 347 tips. What does it say?
It's time to put the "Obama Caved On FISA" talk to an end.
Obama may have promised to support a filibuster of an earlier FISA bill that contained retroactive immunity for telecoms. But we all know that it takes 40 votes to sustain a filibuster. Obama may be the de-facto leader of the party, but ours a fractured party. And with so many conservative red-state-Dems in our party's caucus, plus others like Feinstein who are apparently too beholden to the powerful telecom companies in their states to vote the right way on this, a filibuster on this FISA bill was simply not a realistic possibility. The Dems could barely muster 40 votes for even the most watered down of all the immunity amendments. Obama and Senator Clinton both voted the right way on all three of them, and we progressives should all be proud of them for that.
Do we not see that the above statement is exactly what I am talking about? That because we can't get Democrats to fight, it just isn't worth holding Obama accountable for his vote for it. This is the same diarist who, in this diary, wrote:
In the past two days I've gotten mass emails from Patrick Leahy, Ted Kennedy, and Democracy For America. They asked for contributions, they asked for my signature on petitions, but they did not mention the Feingold resolution. I wrote back to each PAC and told them that I would neither add my name to any petition nor contribute to any fund until they come out in support of censure. I ask each of you to do the same. I would guess that a large number of the people who are targeted by these emails are avid Kos readers, and if all of us stick together on this we might be able to help Russ get at least a little more support. All you have to do is go to the offending PAC's website, find the contact form, and write something quick to tell them that you won't be signing their petitions or donating to their causes until they throw their support behind the censure resolution. To help you get started, here are links to contact the three PACs that I've written back to so far:
Seems a far cry from this doesn't it:
The FISA bill is obviously imperfect, but I do not believe that a serious Presidential candidate can afford to vote "no" on legislation that is intended to help prevent terrorist attacks. If Obama were to oppose the bill as a whole, he would be handing McCain--who didn't even bother to show up and vote today--a huge opening to scare voters and paint Obama as weak on terrorism.
The "Obama turning rightward" media coverage has gone on long enough as it is. We don't need to fan the flames of that storyline anymore.
Yet, 347 people here at Daily Kos agreed with a diarist that said we shouldn't support PAC's that don't have a censure resolution that Obama just couldn't be expected to stand up and fight for FISA.
The gods know I am not a popular guy, nor, have I ever been. Usually, I am the lone voice in a crowd of "go along to get along" types. That is what it usually takes to be popular; follow the crowd and yell the favorite meme the loudest. I don't do that, nor, have I ever.
Surely 347 people couldn't be wrong? Surely, sheer number means that it is right, yes? But, no, it doesn't. I was right when I told the Superintendent that the operation would go wrong, he would get people hurt, and, I was the only person who refused to be a part of the operation that did, in fact, go wrong and put 4 of my buddies into the emergency room. I was right when I bucked the Patrol Commander and tried to apply the law evenly, even it meant retaliation, by applying the law to the rich as well as the poor as the other officers did as they were told. I was right when I saw that the company I worked for in Iraq was pushing production so hard people were getting hurt on a daily basis and I quit rather than be a part of it while everyone else turned their head.
Doing the right thing isn't popular. It is merely the right thing to do. Until people learn that lesson and quit compromising, quit rationalizing, and quit trying to silence everyone else, nothing is ever going to change.