"What's this?" she said and that's what I'm saying now regarding Senator Lieberman's primary of next Tuesday.
To recap, the New York Times backed Lamont and the Washington Post backed the incumbent. This argument is between Democrats and it's all about how far to defend the Iraq War.
What bothers me, is of all the Democratic Senators to primary, the Daily Kos picked the only Jew who supports Israel and Bush. When I hear a Jew on the radio deriding that "He's too far to the right," Isn't the purpose of the Senate but a place to provide comity from partisanship? Don't believe me? Remember the gang of 14?
If you read the earlier post, Anti-semitism is rising on the left. Let me repeat that: Anti-semitism is rising on the left. If Lieberman falls, here is what the Democrats can expect:
- The Connecticut Senate goes Republican thus repeating D'amato 1980 or Moynihan '76, both of New York.
- Bi-partisanship dies in the Senate (The House runs on majority rule).
- The younger Jews will turn away from the Democrats
- Pro-Israeli Democrats will turn Republican.
- And the Democrats will turn into a modern John Birch society -- isolationist and Anti-Semitic.
If you are a Democrat and Jew, know that if the Democrats regain the majority, Hezbollah and Hamas will run rampant in Israel. Do you want that?
What about Mel Gibson?
ReplyDeleteThey don't want it - but they don't believe it either....
ReplyDeleteThe only reason Mel Gibson felt safe to say what he did is because of how the Daily Kos treated Leiberman daily. Without Kos or James Wolcott, Mel Gibson would not have felt safe to go on his rant.
ReplyDeleteJSF
ReplyDeleteI am inclined to agree with your thoughts on the role of the Senate of United States and I would draw your attention to Vice President Aaron Burr's farewell address given 3 March 1805 which in part read as follows:
This House is a sanctuary; a citadel of law, of order, and of liberty; and it is here - - it is here, in this exalted refuge; here, if anywhere, will resistance be made to the storms of political phrensy and the silent arts of
corruption; and if the Constitution be destined ever to perish by the sacrilegious hands of the demagogue or the usurper, which God avert, its expiring agonies will be witnessed on this floor. Aaron Burr's Farewell
Address to the Senate of the United States 3, March 1805.
As such I would argue that the conduct of the Gang of Fourteen is right and proper in that it is consistent with the purpose and role of the Senate within the government. I believe at its core the primary responsibility of the Senate is to place a check upon the House of Representatives and the President in order to prevent transformation of the Republic into a single-party state.
Hamas and Hezbollah were pretty well contained during the Peace process that ended when Bush came to office and "decided" to ignore the problem during his administration.
ReplyDeleteThis is happening in Israel because Bush's puppeteers in APAC and the Christian Right want it to happen. Lets 'em blkast away instead of bargain. Genocide is only wrong when you're on the wrong side I guess.
It is a dangerous thing to call Bush a puppet because, the same charge may be levelled at groups such as Hizbollah and Hamas. I do not think that it is prudent or wise for either side to descend such name calling.
ReplyDeleteI urge both sides of this debate to remember the words of H.M. King Hussein bin Talal bin Abdullah bin al-Hussein
When the time comes, no hour could be postponed or brought forward. The true believer is he who has faith in the one God who has no partners, he who respects the rights and freedoms of others, he who has lived his life in submmission to God's will.
Progress toward a true and lasting peace founded on the principles of justice and equality, will come only when both sides in this conflict have learned to respect the rights and values of the other.
Unfortunately as Abba Eban once said: Men and nations behave wisely once they have exhausted all the other alternatives.
I fear moderation will not prevail until both sides have tired of war and actively seek a peacefuk settlement and no amount of intervention will accelerate the process.
The Democrats have probably losr any chance of winning the general election in Connecticut. Lamont's win virtually assures that Lieberman will run as Independent with conservarive democractic leanings. This will ensure either of the following outcomes:
ReplyDeleteOutcome 1: the independent Liebermann and the Republican challenger split the vote with Lieberman and Lieberman wins leaving Lamont and the Democratic Party in Connecticut in third place.
Outcome 2: the independent Liebermann and the Republican challenger split the vote with Lieberman and the seat is won by Republicans.
Either way Lamont and the Democratic leadership virtually destroyed, whatever chance they had to retain the seat. The only way this is now possible is if the Republicans field an incompetent.