The fear of fear itself

Excellent editorial in the New York Times today:

It was appalling to watch over the last few days as Congress — now led by Democrats — caved in to yet another unnecessary and dangerous expansion of President Bush’s powers, this time to spy on Americans in violation of basic constitutional rights. Many of the 16 Democrats in the Senate and 41 in the House who voted for the bill said that they had acted in the name of national security, but the only security at play was their job security.

I am not sure at what point down the road this Democratic majority will finally 'get it,' and realize the epic proportion of their betrayal (as it is seen from out here,) but I am guessing it is already too late for their 2008 election hopes.

Democratic constituents who have been paying attention now know there is an enormous difference between a GOP rubber stamp 'Blue Dog' Democrat, and the other members of the party.

We're pretty sure we understand now... why impeachment is off the table, no matter what the crime. We're guessing that we are facing a veritable army of 'closet Liebermans' within the ranks of the party we expected to finally restore some oversight to this presidency.

NY Times editorial again:

But mostly, the spectacle left us wondering what the Democrats — especially their feckless Senate leaders — plan to do with their majority in Congress if they are too scared of Republican campaign ads to use it to protect the Constitution and restrain an out-of-control president.

Ah yes... the question we are all asking ourselves this week. What is the point of having you there? What good are you?

Democrats... Blue Dogs... you have failed us.

Independents and Republicans that might have voted Democrat in 2008 may not see the glaring difference between 'Democrat' and 'Blue Dog Democrat.' They will only see betrayal.

I suspect they will end up voting for some last minute Independent candidate, or perhaps will join the swelling ranks of the Ron Paul crowd. But they will not vote for you. You have proven yourselves traitors to the Constitution, and enablers of the most unpopular - and corrupt - president in history.

Democrats: you blew it.

There was obviously only one goal when you took office last November; one thing you really cared about, and that was your re-election and an even bigger majority in 2008. You blew it on an epic scale.

I wonder if you understand, finally, why we sent you to Washington last November. We asked you to govern. We asked you to defend us and our Constitution; we asked you to end this horrific and illegal war that is bankrupting our nation and destroying Iraq. We asked you to take back your constitutional oversight, your jobs as senators and congressmen, and reign in this 'Unitary Executive.'

Had you done any of these things (we expected all of them) you would no doubt have realized your dream of a massive landslide victory in 2008.

You have failed us at every turn. And now... we no longer trust you.

As Abraham Lincoln once said: "If once you forfeit the confidence of your fellow-citizens, you can never regain their respect and esteem."

Wartime leaders from throughout our history might have given you a little advance advice, had any of you bothered to educate yourselves on their writings and their wisdom. FDR, who guided our nation through the Great Depression and WWII, would no doubt have told you that there is 'nothing to fear but fear itself.'

Lincoln, who presided over a horrific war the likes of which you cannot possibly imagine, and courageously signed the Emancipation Proclamation (which undoubtedly lead to his assassination,) would have told you this: "It often requires more courage to dare to do right than to fear to do wrong."

I imagine this is going right over your heads. You are politicians. We no longer elect 'statesmen' to represent us, and obviously to our peril.

So I suppose the fault is ours: we did not look 'deeply into your eyes' as Mr. Bush looked into Vladimir Putin's (pardon the sick metaphor.) We never studied you, and questioned your moral and ethical character.

Yes character. Turns out a little thing like personal character matters. You have shown yourselves to be lacking in both courage and ethics. And all of us will pay the price.

It is now obvious to everyone that you are entirely ruled by fear: fear of the media, and fear of 'looking weak.' How incredibly ironic that your fear of looking weak has actually made you weak: so weak that we voters question how we ever mistook you for actual vertebrates last fall.

A jellyfish or a Blue Dog Democrat? What difference?

A sad reflection on our government and this floundering Democratic party. Because apparently the GOP is right on at least one point: Democrats are weak. Democrats have chosen to be weak.

I hope that when you return from your vacation, you realize the ramifications of your betrayal. There is still time for you to grow some spine, and 'risk' a bit for the defense of your country and your Constitution. You have a choice: defend the Constitution and your constituents, or be thrown out of office in 2008. The choice is yours. We've had enough.

But understand one thing: we no longer trust you. That 2008 landslide will never happen now. We expected you to earn it. You have betrayed our trust.