So, right after the 2006 elections, I posted up a diary entry titled "This was not a Victory" and caught a lot of flack. You can find it here. Given the last couple days and all the hooting and hollering going on, I thought I would remind folks why I wrote that and why it is still true.
Frankly, when we won the majority in both houses, I was surprised, and joyful. Not because I expected great things, but because I hoped that with a majority, the Dems could at least limit the damage that BushCo could do until 2008. I really didn't have higher expectations.
But my friend's warning was a great reminder that we have an uphill road to get to a place where we can even start to fix the problems, and not just dodge them. And we can't let our elected officials forget that for one minute.
Since the Dems took charge, so many things have changed. For the worse. More deaths, more scandals, more lies. But underlying all that is a plain and simple fact. The Dems have a job to do, one that we elected them to do, and if they don't do it, they will lose the momentum and the ability to do that job. And eventually, they will lose their jobs too, because too many people will become disillusioned.
This isn't about 'staying the course' or other platitudes, it is about keeping their word and getting the job done. And then going on to teh next job and getting that done. If they can't do that, then they need to be honest and tell us what they can do. While Bush blusters and makes a foll of himself, there is no end of things they can fix, crooks to be investigated, and laws to be introduced that will help people.
If they continue to 'compromise' (i.e. give in) to everything BushCo wants, then we are going to see an apathetic voter turnout and probably an upset in 2008 that will make 2000 and 2004 look like a kids game of tiddlywinks. And I won't feel smug about that, but don't say I didn't tell you so.