President Obama’s recent caving to the Far-Far Right on tax cuts is deeply sad, again illustrating a failure of the Democratic pretenders to manifest a spine in the face of Republican hysteria.
In their effort to acquiesce and not be offensive, Democrats have failed the liberal and progressive elements they were elected to represent. Health Shuler (D-NC) should be ashamed of himself!
For the record, let's define and clarify the "San Francisco values" . . .
A Russian-American friend of mine asked me a tough question over Thanksgiving. Valery is a bright man who emigrated about 30 years ago, and still speaks with a heavy Russian accent. He said, “Scott, explain something to me: I thought ‘liberalism’ was about taking care of the people, making sure everyone has food and medical care, and protecting minorities. Why is it that all these politicians are saying always these terrible things about ‘liberals.’”?
When I taught political science at Shelby State Community College in the 1990’s, I stated that a person’s sense of humanity can largely be defined by one’s politics. I learned this from Rabbi James A. Wax, who mediated the Memphis Sanitation Workers’ Strike, before, during and after Martin Luther King’s ill-fated appearances in Memphis in 1968. This has never been more true. I also taught this: Republicans are the masters at getting people to vote against their own interests.
Since Ronald Reagan, they have mastered the art of obfuscating a debate to the point of frightening and disingenuous double-speak. I explained to Valery that Reagan was the first to depict “liberalism” as a dirty word, and that Bush Sr. made it sound like something you wouldn’t want to step in, wearing nice shoes. By the time Bush Jr. came around liberals, progressive and their democratic colleagues were too damn scared to even TRY to frame a debate in positive terms. Since Reagan, the Democratic pretenders to the dying tradition of American “liberalism” have been running scared of the New Right and Far-Far Right, and trying to “fit in” by “selling out.”
President Obama’s recent caving to the Far-Far Right on tax cuts is deeply sad, again illustrating a failure of the Democratic pretenders to manifest a spine in the face of Republican hysteria. I’m so mad about this, I almost made a mixed metaphor! It’s even more mystifying when you consider that the Republicans don’t take control of Congress for at least another month! WHY PLAY NICE? THEY DON’T!
In their effort to acquiesce and not be offensive, Democrats have failed the liberal and progressive elements they were elected to represent. Health Shuler (D-NC) should be ashamed of himself! No one would blame him for mounting a leadership challenge to Nancy Pelosi (D-CA). He’s a politician. But it was totally gratuitous for Shuler to shamelessly borrow from the Karl Rove playbook, and invoke the same destructive bromides. As noted, “Republicans are masters at getting people to vote against their own interests.”
No single ethnic group has been more cuckolded by Republican intimidation than American Jews. Other than supporting Israel, Republicans have come to represent everything that is anti-Jewish and anti-Semitic. This includes dispensing with separation of church and state, and ignoring the quaint old “Establishment Clause.” A few years ago, Bernie Marcus, the founder of Home Depot, gave $26,000 to the Georgia Lt. Gov. campaign of Ralph Reed. Why would a Jew give big bucks to a guy who wants to round us all up and send us to Israel so they can get on with their Apocalypse?
When Pelosi became Speaker, she was attacked as “unfair” and “disrespectful” for shepherding an agenda that sought to restore the checks and balances proscribed by The Constitution, which had been eviscerated by Bush Jr's legions. They made a huge show about mocking “San Francisco values.”
Republicans have played very dirty for the past 30 years, and have come close to destroying the fabric of our government. We have barely survived their efforts to compress the three branches of government into one. These guys dragged "partisan" politics to new lows, laughed and taunted anyone who opposed their draconian agenda, and won elections through lies, distortion and destruction.
For the record, let's define and clarify the "San Francisco values" that has Republicans in such a snit, and Democrats too discombobulated to defend:
-The Constitution must be honored and protected.
-Separation of church and state are good - the other way didn't work, so the
colonies revolted!
-Science is good - Global warming and other environmental issues must be
addressed.
-Tolerance and diversity are good - exclusion and persecution based on
religion or lifestyle is bad.
-Education and medical care are a birthright of ALL American citizens - not
just the privileged.
-Commerce is good, but must be regulated to prevent more Enrons and market meltdowns. The financial industries have demonstrated they cannot police themselves.
-Evolution probably happened - no one who remembers is still around.
-Religion is great for sustaining the spirit, but not as a political blueprint.
-Religion is a matter of personal choice; not to be dictated by the "majority."
-A strong military is good; misuse of military resources is bad.
-War is bad - especially when its motivation is political vanity. When it’s necessary do it right. That is, don’t start a gratuitous vanity war, to divert attention from the “just cause” when we’re THAT close to capturing Bin Ladin!
-"Love Thy Neighbor" - c'mon y'all don't laugh, "Religion is great . . .", remember?
H. Scott Prosterman