Are We Being Betrayed by Our Dem Leaders?

[Joe Fields]

This is not a question that I pose lightly. I am crestfallen and overwrought by the ineffectiveness and bumbling, stumbling nature of our democratic leaders, as a whole. Our constitution has been trampled on, our lives are less private, less secure, big business controls the country. Republican scandal after republican scandal, one right after another continue to rock the nation, and yet, we seem so powerless.

I am fifty years old, and have seen a lot in my time. What I have witnessed during the Bush administration is the worst I've seen, including LBJ's war, Nixon's paranoia and Reagan's regime. Throughout my life, I have been proud to be a democrat, feeling that I was on the "just" side of important issues.

But today, I see no real outrage that translates into decisive action by our dem leaders, Russ Feingold notwithstanding. Hell, our leaders allowed Sen. Feingold to twist slowly in the wind as he tried to censure Bush. What a disgrace. I cannot help but feel that every elected democrat in Washington should be standing unified, shouting at the top of their lungs, demanding censure, investigations, hearings and impeachment for the roughshod way Bush has governed, rendering the legislative and judicial branches of our government useless and obsolete with his executive orders and signing statements. Our very democracy is at stake. We have gone to war over oil and a pack of lies, and yet our dem leaders act afraid to speak out loud enough and long enough to raise public awareness and concern to the point of action.

Why is this? Why are they afraid to stand against illegal wiretappings? Why are they afraid to utter "impeachment" in Washington, instead preferring to dance artound the humongous elephant in the room? Why are they abandoning Americans at arguably the most critical time in our history? When a potential religious and World War is looming around the corner?

Now, some here may argue that certain leaders have raised these issues, which is true to an extent. I have heard meek mutterings from a few dem leaders, just so they can say they said it on the record. But have any one of them taken up the flag and sounded a clarion call for justice? For the truth? No. Are any one of them so unafraid as to risk their career and public standing to openly challenge the corruption and make that their cause in life? No. And I pay attention. I watch the news. I read blogs, I inspect newspaper articles, magazine articles, watch political talk shows.... all the things that most here on DU do. I have not heard it. I have not seen it. It doesn't exist.

So, I ask, are we being betrayed by our dem leaders? Or simply abandoned and thought irrelevant by them? Could it possibly be that a few with presidential aspirations are secretly glad that Bush has vastly increased the powers of the presidency, so that, if and when a dem gets back to the Oval Office, they too, will feel free and justified to act however they want?

I have to wonder.

I have always been proud to be a democrat. But I really wonder about our leaders and their motives.

[stepnw1f]

If We Wonder Then We Need Change

That's all to it. I'm rather dissapointed in the "take on step forward, two back".

[xultar]

1. Nope. No need to qualify dissing Dems with the fact you are a Dem

we do that here so it is o.k.

[hiley]

2. Very thoughtful post

and I quite agree.
Actually, I have moved past wondering.

[fooj]

18. Me, too!

The silence is deafening.

:cry:

[hiley]

44. I know fooj

love you,
peace

[gulfcoastliberal]

29. Strange how the repukes were so effective at thwarting dem legislation

when they were in the minority and yet Reid allows repuke legislation like the Enzi bill to proceed - so they can "debate" it. Reid justifies allowing this piece of pure health insurance lobby written trash "bill" on the floor ostensibly to add amendments on stem cells. Even if they do manage to get the amendments on it, they'll just get stripped out after the bill passes and goes for the conference committee. They are traitors, and that isn't "dem bashing"! It's the honest truth and those that start screaming "dem basher!" are just sticking their fingers in their ears and going "LA LA LA I CAN'T HEAR YOU!!" a la repukes.

[Vincardog]

3. Chill Joe. Between the RepubliKKKan controlled congress and the Corporate.

controlled Media no Democratic message or leadership gets much play. Take heart the republikkkan incompetence and corruption is showing itself. When we take back the congress in November we will have the chance for our elected representation to show some spine.

Drip
Drip
Drip

[sendero]

46. Screw the "message"..

... "messages" are for Republicans anyway. We're talking about ACTION here, and we get NONE, NONE AT ALL from the Dem leadership, especially the Dem senate.

Now we're sitting here, hoping the Republicans fuck up enough so that we can take over at least one branch of Congress. Really, it is pathetic, and at this point I, like many many Americans, am only a Dem because I'm not a goddamned Rep.

[Vincardog]

47. WTF do you think the Democrats can do? They are in the Minority. The Major

party controls everything. The Democrats can not even offer amendments to the RW bills. If you are not happy work to change the system.

[MadHound]

4. We've been getting increasingly betrayed by them for years

This started long before Bush, back through Clinton, back to LBJ and beyond. At first, it wasn't noticable, but now it has become blatant.

Funny, how this trend mirrors the rising power of corporations in our government. Makes you wonder who our rep's true constituency is? Personally I think it's Corporate America, not Mainstream America.

[Gregorian]

5. Big money has corrupted the system.

Money before country. Because the little people can suffer. And like someone on the board just posted- her relative voted for W because he didn't want his gun taken away. So stupidity has to do with the people either not knowing, or not willing to do the right things. The right thing is what we are all missing. A country that is good. America has been the way it is for a long time. In fact, since it's inception. But we see it vividly with Bush. It's right in the open. I don't think very many people even knew what a Fairness Doctrine was when Reagan was busy preparing the country for "their plan". So given the momentum, I don't see how anything will change this mess.



Fifty. You and I both. Boy those were the days. My happiness basically ended in 1980. That is when I saw this. I've been where most DU'ers are now since 1980. In fact, before then. I knew immediately that the drug war was nothing more than a way to test the people, build more jails, and frighten the public.

[Joe Fields]

7. I probably should have rephrased my question to ask.....

Why are our Democratic leaders betraying us? As with yourself, I have held few illusions for quite some time. There was hope immediately after Watergate, but it soon became dimmed.

[Gregorian]

8. My subject line answered that question.

It's money. And a public that takes democracy for granted.

I took health for granted. But the last five years have finally overwhelmed me to the point that I'm not well. And boy do I think about health now. Basically, humans only respond when it hurts. Same with voting. Same with global warming. But there is a percentage, like us, who care before disaster makes it neccisary to care.

They have let us down because they can, and we've let them.

I'm so utterly discouraged by my new knowledge that we aren't all on the same page. I thought Nixon was just Nixon. No, he was half of the country. Growing up in San Francisco, I never really knew what a republican was. A year and a half ago I moved to a logging community. It's beautiful. And uglier than anything I've ever known. My house has been for sale since the fourth month I've lived here. I simply cannot believe the human filth I see here. I better stop. I want to go into it. But it's complex. But I will say this- From what I've learned by spending time in a European forum, America is not as wonderful as people here would like one to believe. Lazy and ignorant citizens really bring this place down. And the politicians sink to that level along with them. And then there is money. Take the money out of politics, and we would be a different country. But with real estate values, money is ever more important. That kind of sums it up for me. It's not 1956 any more. I don't think it ever will be. That's why I'm trying to find my own little world. OK, I'll spell out my little story. Near the metropolitan areas, people are intelligent, and real estate is expensive. In the country, people are freepers, and real estate is cheaper. I hope this didn't totally go off the deep end for you. (:

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

6. That's the problem with "leaders" rather than representatives.

They aren't supposed to be bosses.

[El Fuego]

9. I think they are waiting until after the 2006 elections

After we take back the House, things will start happening. Without Congressional control, we are almost powerless.

I'm wondering if impeachment is being downplayed to encourage republican apathy up until the election. If the 06 elections are perceived by the public to be about impeachment, it would influence the results.

[endarkenment]

14. Don't hold your breath.

Joe is correct - we have been sold out and it is mostly a tweedledee-tweedledum shell game replacing one party beholden to corporate greed heads with another almost equally corrupt. That said I will do everything in my power to make sure that we win in 06 and again in 08 but I have no illusions about what will happen if we succeed.

Here is what will happen: not much. There will be no major change in current policies. No roll back of tax cuts to the filthy rich. No withdrawal from Iraq. No abolition of the odious patriot act. No reconstruction of the bogus medicare plan D giveaway to Big Pharma and HealthCo. No impeachment. No censure. No effort to put an end to executive abuse of authority. The Democratic leadership will continue to run away from all of these issues.

We might get an increase in the minimum wage - and it might get vetoed and I'd be surprised to see an override. We might get some congressional investigations started and restarted on what happened with 9-11 and what happened with Iraq.

The onslaught against social programs will get stalled - and that is reason enough to vote Democratic - but as far as I can tell that is just about it.

[derby378]

10. My solution: GET OFF YOUR ASS.

I've said this before, and I'll say it again - maybe it's time to DU the Democratic Party itself.

When is your primary in Missouri? When's the filing deadline for candidates? Would you consider running for precinct chair if your current chair isn't doing the job well enough?

I just paid a visit yesterday to a couple of long-time Dems in my precinct. I'm not due to be sworn in for a week and a half, but I wanted to meet some of the local folks and get them energized for the November elections. They told me it's been some four or five election cycles since they last met the precinct chair, and they told me they're glad someone in the Democratic Party is trying to increase our visibility on the local level.

The "Get Off Your Ass" challenge isn't issued at just you, but all DUers who are becoming increasingly frustrated with the party. Maybe it's time to institute some real change from the ground up. We have the numbers. We have the networking. Now all we need is to stand up.

[savemefromdumbya]

16. This is the problem not many are willing to get off their derriere's

Democrats need to be visible and clean. Only last year our area reincarnated their Democratic club. They used to have one many years ago. Fortunately we now have a very active large membership.

[bemildred]

11. If it walks like a duck ....

They betrayed us in VietNam, and they haven't changed a bit. If anything it's gotten worse, more blatant. It is true, now as then, that there are a few honorable people in Congress, but not many.

[leftchick]

31. They have gotten much worse

they are so far away from average americans it is a joke. Or a sin. :(

[bemildred]

45. They have gotten much more obvious and overt.

I don't think the agenda has changed at all. You can argue that the fact that they have been forced into open defiance of the public will is a sign that their hold on the throat of the American republic is weakening. I sure hope so, time is running out.

[Autonomy]

12. Demonstrating outrage is not that effective

when trying to get elected. They're there to get results, not make you feel better by affirming your feelings. I feel the same as you, but get in step and get to work. Who cares how we FEEL? It's all about what we DO. Period.

[ginnyinWI]

13. I do trust our leaders and their motives.

Your evidence isn't good enough for me, sorry.

Work hard to get more Dems elected, and then see if they are as good as their words.

[earth mom]

15. Hell yes, Dem leaders have betrayed us!

I've been saying that for months around here. They take care of themselves and their cronies first and foremost. Average Joe voters do NOT count, save when they need our votes.

Essentially, we have been cheated, lied to and screwed.

So let's Vote the bastards out!

How about electing someone like Robert Kennedy Jr. or Michael Moore or Cindy Sheehan for president?!

How about getting people with integrity in office who don't need or want the money or perks, but would rather do the right thing by and for the people!

Otherwise, everything will continue on the way it has been...same sh*t, different day.

[Iowa]

17. And keep in mind where most of the evil originates...

Not from spineless Dem reps.
Not from fascist repuke reps.
Not from media whores.

Most of the evil, and a huge portion of the problems we face as a society are a direct result of corporate executives and their boards... just a few people who not all that long ago were snot-nosed kids learning to tie their shoes. This handful of people dream it up, fund it, and implement it. They control the country.

Oh, we'll have a few breathers now and then when things seem to be going our way, but we will NOT solve our problems for the long term without taking them on. Any strategy that fails to release their grip on our way of life is only a temporary fix that will leave us frustrated in the end.

It's us vs. them.

[RagingInMiami]

19. I gave up on them right after the 2004 stolen election

And the media as well.

Right now, it's up to the people to restore democracy. If we sit around waiting for someone to do it for us, we will be waiting forever.

[wiggs]

20. Yes. One big Hannity and Colmes show, IMO.

It is one of the more disappointing and sad revelations for me over the last 5 years. I was naive before...now a cynic.

I exclude a few of the obvious congressmen and women from this indictment, of course. Otherwise, the rest appear to offer token, safe opposition and opinion in the face of real threats to this country and democracy.

[blm]

21. Alot of them ARE standing for any combination of censure, investigations

hearings and impeachment.

And some calling for censure don't want impeachment. And some calling for investigations would be fine with censure or impeachment depending on what was learned from the investigations, but aren't going to prejudge and vote now.

And ........ no one has been left twisting in the wind. There has been no vote on censure and at least a half-dozen senators have come out supporting Russ on censure, and more hearings will likely occur. And two are co-sponsoring the bill with him.

[Joe Fields]

50. I strongly disagree with you.

As I said in my post, some have made meek mutterings, but did any of them stand with Feingold when it counted? They left him like they were on the Titanic, with his ass hanging out in a cold arctic wind.

[sallyseven]

22. I note here that a lot of people

on this board should be kissing up to the repuks. They think that they are so wonderful. With attitudes like yours maybe we would all be better off. So much distortion and so little knowledge it is amazing.

[JohnyCanuck]

23. You mean like this?

When it comes to politics, Murdoch, known in media circles as the “dirty digger,” is equally adaptable in pursuing his personal gain. The most loyal right-wing Tory and friend of Margaret Thatcher during the 1980s, as he built up his media holdings in Britain, he switched his loyalties to “New Labour” when he saw that Tony Blair could provide a fresh face for even more reactionary politics and was more than willing to further Murdoch’s interests in return for editorial backing. He made similar swings in his native Australia between the Labor and Liberal parties to further his efforts at monopolizing the print and broadcast media.

So, it should really come as no surprise that Murdoch is now emerging as a prominent backer of the Democratic US Senator from New York, Hillary Clinton. The Financial Times of London reported Tuesday that Murdoch will personally host a July fundraiser for Mrs. Clinton on behalf of his News Corp.

CBS News reported on the upcoming fundraiser with the provocative headline “Rupert Murdoch Loves Hillary Clinton.” It stated, “The mating ritual of the unlikely allies has been under way for months.”

SNIP

Union busting is not just a platonic affair for Murdoch. In 1986, he used mass firings and police violence to crush the British print workers’ union in the Wapping strike. He used similar tactics against striking members of the Newspaper Guild at the New York Post in 1993, firing nearly 300 of them.

Now, Hillary Clinton, whose $20 million campaign fund includes large sums from the unions, including Transit Workers Union (TWU) Local 100, will be getting even more money from Murdoch, a veteran union-buster and one of the most prominent advocates of the TWU’s destruction.


http://www.wsws.org/articles/2006/may2006/murd-m10_prn.shtml

[LSK]

24. I am watching Dems in the House stick up for me right now

Turn on CSPAN and watch them for a while.

[BigBearJohn]

25. As far as I'm concerned, it's all about MONEY & POWER. period.

[LSK]

26. what makes you say that?

[BigBearJohn]

32. I'm talking about politics in general.

[Joe Fields]

51. When you boil it down, yes!

Everything else seems to be window dressing. A broad statement, to be sure, but acurate from where I sit.

Of course there are a few exceptions.

[mmonk]

27. By some.

I don't think there can be a argument made with any proof that none are.

[OPERATIONMINDCRIME]

28. No. In Fact, I'm Proud Of The Majority Of Them.

The challenges they face with a biased media and corrupt as hell majority in both houses is unbelievable and I'm proud of their fight against it.

[AbbyR]

30. No, but they have been very true to themselves

I wrote a column a while back for my little country paper. The basic idea was "Follow the money."

Every piece of legislation that has been passed has benefited someone, and if you look at who has reaped the benefits, you'll find why our Democratic leaders (with some exceptions, certainly) are going right along with the Republicans.

The Iraq war, for example. Oil companies and big government contractors are making huge profits. Who's suffering? The soldiers, the Iraqi people, and the average guy out here just trying to make it.

Who would benefit from single-payer, universal health coverage? You, me and every regular citizen. Who benefits with the way things are now? Drug companies, big business, etc, etc.

Who benefits when we tear up the National Forests and turn undeveloped land into shopping malls and Wal-Marts?

I could go on and on, but I'll spare you. The whole thing makes me sick.

I want to run for office so badly and take out Mark Pryor. It'll never happen. I want to speak the truth, I want to say what I believe and get legislation passed that will really do some good for the majority of the country. I could never win. First, I don't have the money. Second, I'm not a handsome, Ivy League graduate. I would probably refuse to put on high heels and a fancy dress or suit to impress someone. I'm me, and I will remain forever one of the little guys. But like the other folks here, I'm very tired of voting for people who think nothing of what is good for the country and for her people, but only what's good for the people that make big campaign contributions.

I'm just tired...

[Rex]

33. Since December 12th of 2000, nothing has been the same.

Who here sleeps like they did before that date? Who here sleeps better now than before September 11th 2001? How about March 20th 2003 or Jan 20th 2005? We've been dulled down, including our leaders and it has been devastating for America and the world.

IMO, the Dems are lost in a way, out in some uncharted territory (we all are). The GOPers are just to dumb to 'get it' and the Oil Barons/Warmongers control the planet at the moment. And still no idea by the FBI how military grade anthrax got sent to the two Dem majority leaders in the Capitol Dome. It's a miracle we still have a party and a few strong leaders.

[Robbie Michaels]

34. You bring up valid points

I became a non-partisan voter in my state because I'm angry with Democrats not named Boxer, Feingold, Conyers, or Murtha. I don't feel they are serving their constituents. They're serving money and the people and businesses it comes from.

[Walt Disney]

35. I do not wonder.

Head on over to Free Republic and you will see the same thing coming from their side, regarding their "leaders." Actually, they are not leaders, they are employees. Moreover, people shouldn't follow men, they should follow ideals.

Having said that, this country is pretty much split 45% us and 45% them. As such, it's the idiots that make up the remaining 10% who decide elections.

Thus, I would say, that we are, "simply abandoned and thought irrelevant by them." They already have us, now they're after the idiots.

[LibertyorDeath]

36. They will protest as loudly as their Corporate Masters allow them to

and not one decibel higher.

There are Democrats
There are Republicans
but Mostly there are Corporatist's.

What to do about it I'm not sure but this is where America
stands

[mom cat]

37. I am not sure either, but I know that we have to keep screaming the

truth about corportist dems as well as repukes. I fear that we will see the right hand puppet defeated by the left hand puppet with no change in the pupperteers.

[Usrename]

38. Those with their hands on the levers of power control both parties.

It has become an international crisis. We must stop them soon, or we are doomed to life without liberty.

Some elected Dems support the Bush agenda, others resist. Can we tell them apart? Should we try?

[mom cat]

40. We can tell them apart by how they vote on critical issues.

Anyone voting for tax cuts for the rich does NOT represent us. We now have taxation without representation. The Beltway brats won't lead the charge. We must do it ourselves!

[LibertyorDeath]

48. Hey good on you "keep screaming the truth" & I'll do the same

eventually we'll have a Chorus then an Ocean of Voices all screaming the Truth.

Cheers!

[theHandpuppet]

43. That's it in a nutshell

Couldn't have said it better.

[LibertyorDeath]

49. Thanx!

[Name removed]

39. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[jollyreaper2112]

41. my stance

Republicans are evil. That's british horror movie evil, pronounced with a "y". "Eyyyvil." Democrats? They're just ineffective. Sure, the people on the ground want to fight the good fight, the rank and file Dems are a stand-up crew, but the leaders don't know how to organize. Analogy -- Poland during the Blitzkrieg. The Wermacht was the very embodiment of scary, capable, deady evil, a foe to be respected and feared. The Polish military? Gallant, to be sure, and possessing huge balls -- what else would you call a cavalry regiment going up against an armored column? But it was futile. Poland's leaders allowed their military to become hopelessly outdated when a powerful enemy stood on their borders. The generals were lost in dreams of wars fought and lost decades ago, never accepting that the world had moved on.

To put it in other terms, Dems are closet-cases. Republicans are openly, flamingly corrupt. They're staging corruption parades, smoking big money pole in public, and make no appologies for their behavior. Dems enjoy it every bit as much as the Pukes but they feel shameful about it, try to keep others from knowing. But they're still visiting the same corporate whores as the Pukes, even if they're trying to keep it on the down-low.

[Hubert Flottz]

42. Yes....watch the vote on the tax cut!