I'm a bit of a wimp politically. I opposed a filibuster of Alito because I didn't see any practical upside to it. But this Dubai issue is the once in a generation chance to shatter the Republican Big Tent forever.
The re-election of George W. Bush was the most heart breaking day of my life, Senior Prom included. It's been well documented that fear and manipulation were the cause of this travesty. But in the longer view the only reason this was even possible is the fact that the Repbulican party is in fact two parties acting as one. A party of religious fanatics who only care about saving fetuses and preventing homosexuality and a party of Ubercapitalists who put up with the Jesus freaks in return for lower marginal tax rates.
Neither group is crazy about this deal. The Christians don't trust A-rabs and the Supply Siders tend to live in the metropolitan areas around these ports. The only Blue States that Bush made any headway in the 2004 election were the Tri-state area of NY, NJ and CT. Those people were scared. The FDNY, a labor union for Christ's sake, endorsed GWB because they felt like he was their simpatico.
But this deal exposes the true master of the Republican party and his name ain't Yahweh. The real driving force of American conservatism today is a fanatical addiction to International Commerce and Free-Trade. Bushco trusts the Emirs of the UAE because they play ball. He doesn't understand that the same Joe and Jane Sixpack that he feared into voting his way last time out don't truck with that crowd.
The American people are scared anew. And Bush made the Capital Error of diggin his heels in on this issue. He cant' lose face now. It's not in his nature. He'd rather die than be so embarassed.
But the blue state Republicans can not look their voters in the eye and tell them that this deal is a good idea. You think George Pataki wants to walk into a Union Hall in Queens and tell the good people of that damaged city to trust this particular Arab dictatorship? Can Olympia Snowe really tell her Lobsterman constituents not to worry about what's coming into the country via those ports? Rick Santorum is already political toast but my God, he'll have trouble breaking 25 percent against Casey if he tries to tell the Miners that the UAE is a trusted ally.
It is time for us to exploit this issue the same way Ronald Regan once exploited fear of Welfare Queens and Affirmitive Action Quotas. (Okay, hopefully with a little more tact than that gang. But not too much more!)
The mushy middle is ripe for the taking and we have to fight this to the death. Filibusters, demagaugery, fucking civili disobedience. I don't care. If it's in the quiver, let it fly.
When the political history of the first decade of the 21st century is written, the fall from grace of the GOP will be written in three acts: Schiavo, Abramoff and Dubai.
They are cornered and bloody. If we let them get away on this, we don't deserve the trust of the American people.