"Wait till the Democrats gain power. Then you'll see!"
How many times did we all hear this? Well, I'm still waiting.
Yes, Democratic majority has made a huge difference in covering the scandals of the Bush administration like the US attorney firings. Yes, oversight has improved. Yes, some legislative proposals have fared better. And yes, it is far, far better than the alternative.
But, and this is an enormous but, the major issue of Democratic weakness and capitulation still exists. Gaining the majority has not changed the mind frame of the Democratic Party. They still cower from pathetic, ridiculous Republican talking points.
"You are going to hurt the troops by not supporting Bush's war policy." This sorry excuse for a talking point should have been blown out of the water years ago. Not only has it not gone away, but it has been strengthened because the Democrats continue to base their whole political strategy around it.
They still buy into the Republican idea that ending the war hurts the troops!!! That's insanity. How can people be this stupid? This inept at politics?
How is this for a challenge: A Democrat gets up in front of Congress and says to his Republican colleagues, "If you want to continue this war and tell us it's going to get better, will you promise to get on your hands and knees six months from now and apologize to the families of the troops who got killed and wounded in those six months if it does not get better?"
They should have said that three years ago, two years ago, six months ago. They could still say it now. They never make the Republicans pay a price for being so wrong - and hurting the troops so much.
The Republicans are throwing these poor kids into the meat grinder for a war they absolutely, positively know can't be won - there isn't even a definition of victory - and they have the unending audacity to claim the Democrats don't support the troops. And the Democrats have the unending stupidity to agree with them.
Tell us who they are. Grab your so-called Blue Dog Democratic colleagues by the collar, drag them out into the light and show us the losers who cower in the face of ridiculous, Republican talking points. Who are the ones so pathetic they can't fight back?
The overwhelming majority of the country is with you. There is now a poll that shows the majority of Republican voters in Iowa are in favor of timetables for withdrawal. How much support do you need before you bring your sorry, scared ass to vote the right away?
Here is point number two: We don't need a radical solution. We are not what the right-wing talk show hosts claim we are. We are not in the least bit extreme. We are the American people. We just need something. It doesn't even have to be timetables. It can be benchmarks with real consequences. If the Iraqi government cannot get a peace deal in a certain period of time, then we leave.
The whole country would agree to this. Who can argue for staying in Iraq if the Iraqis refuse to make peace among themselves? How can the Democrats not realize the wisdom - and the overwhelming political advantage - of such a proposal?
What we cannot have is a complete capitulation like we just saw from the Democrats. Why would you give the most deeply unpopular president of our lifetimes every single thing he wanted on the most important issue of the day?
What did we get in return? A minimum wage bill? Are you kidding me? You couldn't get that passed on its own when it has about 80% approval in the country? If the Republican idiots want to filibuster bills that are immensely popular with the country, let them. If they are looking for rope to hang themselves with, hand it to them. Do you have any idea how politics work?
We are so lucky that the Republicans are wrong on almost every single, major issue in the country because if they were just a quarter right on the policy, they would ride these Democrats out of town.
Look at what they just did. They won on all fronts when they had the whole country united against them on Iraq. It might be terrible policy and it might do them damage in the long run, but they know how to win a political fight. And that is something you definitely can't say for the Democrats.