2004 was a debacle for the Democratic Party, no matter how much sunshine Dems want to spin over John Kerry's political tombstone. We are now a quarter of the way through '05 and has anybody else noticed that Donkeys are MIA. Now I sit here in Virginia in the middle of an election year for the Commonwealth and have not seen or heard from the party of Jefferson and Jackson and her leaders for quite some time both statewide and nationally.
Sure Governor Warner is vetoing things like Natural Gas Drilling off the coast of Virginia and rewriting the Dillon Rule for UVA, Virginia Tech and William and Mary, but where is the bold leadership for our Party? Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid made a passionate plea on the steps of the Capitol to save the Filibuster, but what about Social Security, Medicare/Medicaid and Terry Schiavo? Are those crickets I here in the Democratic Caucus? Chairman Dean is all but mute since ascending the throne at the DNC. What about Congressman Emanuel who is not offering any kind of initiative for reclaiming the House at the DCCC, maybe that disaster on Meet the Press in January has him hamstrung?
My point is while the polls show the President's popularity eroding why aren't the Democrats standing on his throat and attacking. Why not start with ads saying "The Republicans have gone so far to the right you have been driven right out of a job." Why do they seem afraid to attack this minority of crazed power hungry ideologues who are tearing apart our country?
Governor Warner needs to literally be walking door to door in Virginia with the Democratic candidates in every district. We need Governor Warner to be out in front of the candidates acting like the top of the ticket. Why take all of your popularity Governor and hind in the corner, we need you to win these '05 elections. Take a unified Democratic front to the individual voters in the Commonwealth and let them know about your plans of improving secondary education. Tell them personally why we need more young people in Community College and vocational learning. Show the Democrats and the voters what Richmond needs to be about, our future. This is the kind of yeoman's work in politics that will translate to big things in '08 ... hint hint.
Why hasn't Senator Reid laid out a plan for the Democrats? Instead of lurking in the shadows and waiting for the President to fall flat, be proactive and get out in front of the issues. Tell middle-class Americans that the payroll tax should be raised to level the playing field. Swallow hard and tell this country what it already knows, it is just more feasible if we do not start paying out Social Security until you are 68 years old. That would be one way of sticking it to the Republicans, by actually being a party of leadership with a plan that solves the problem.
Where was Dr. Dean on State's Rights these past few weeks? I mean he said during the Democratic nomination fight in November of 2003 that "he wanted to appeal to white Southerners with rebel flags on their pickups." The Republicans in the US House and Senate are running rough shod over Florida's sovereignty in the Terry Schiavo case. Paging Dr Dean this is a great wedge issue to call out white Southerners with and have them smell the coffee. Are they going to stand up to the hypocritical politicians who are encroaching on their right to self-governance or not? Let them know Democrats are here to be your mega phone. I guess we decided as Dems to pass on that bait. Apparently we are still looking for a bigger fish than White Southern Males in the South to add to our constituency.
As for the DCCC where is the message man? Emanuel may be more known as a fundraiser, but what about a 50 state strategy for retaking the House. We need the Chairman of the DCCC to be recruiting and presenting us with challengers to all the Republican incumbents for the House in `06. Congressman Emanuel needs to realize that it will not be a sign of success if he simply dumps fewer seats in '06 than the 8 in `04. No this time we better gain seats. Yet the DCCC seems mute, maybe they feel overburdened.
Our country is bleeding out with a 3 trillion dollar deficit and billions of dollars in debt owed directly to China. Americans are paying record prices for gasoline as barrels of crude climb past $60. Social Security will start declining in 2042, but Medicare and Medicaid will be bankrupt in 2016 if nothing is done. The right wing hacks are trying to gut the middle class and poorest children in America with their plans of creating a new Consumption Based Tax and budget cuts to School Lunches and Head Start. We have a under funded and overworked Military and National Guard that is spread across the globe trying to take care of far more than it was ever intended to do. This country needs a party with plans, vision, leadership, and candidates with integrity. Will the real Democratic Party, the one of FDR, Truman and JFK please stand up?
I just don't understand the silence from these Donkeys. The United States of America needs Democrats to step up now, start bucking and kicking and raising all kinds of hell. Dems need to for once this generation become a bunch of jack asses and jump start this country before everyone is broke and too desperate to listen to rationality.
Just a Thought