The Democrats have tried hard to sell "new direction" as their slogan, while at the same time denying what that new direction really means. The newly elected leadership has said that it is not the Democrats' intention to cut-and-run, or surrender, or to leave Iraq in a state of chaos, nor is it their intention to cut off funding.
Only a few bold souls have been willing to be honest with us about their intentions, and while I may not agree 100% with them, at least they are not trying to bullshit us.
Kucinich proposes removing the funds for the military operations (from The Dennis Kucinich web site):
Carl Levin proposes near-term troop withdrawal (Breitbart):
Mitt Romney, detestable to liberals because he is a Mormon, and detestable to evangelicals because, well, he's a Mormon, opens up on the Boston Media for having two points of view - the liberal view and the progressive view (paraphrasing, from mediabistro):
Nanny state politics are alive and well, and someone recently laughed at me when I said that eventually smoking will be banned in general, sooner than later being very likely. Laugh no more! Here we have the first American city to ban smoking. All I can say is that at least it isn't criminalized (for now).
Smoking Ban Article on San Mateo Daily Journal:
Al Gore just can't stay out of the spotlight, can he? He's recently said that he might not go into politics again, because he is very comfortable and happy being an environmental activist. Hmmm. I don't think you can be an activist and NOT be political. That's kind of the point, isn't it Al? I think he's really enjoying the attention he's getting. Personally, I think he's more effective doing what he's doing now than being part of the government.
Al Gore calls Aussies and Americans "Bonnie and Clyde" of Global Warming:
Aussie PM John Howard Hits Back at Gore, Promotes Nuclear Energy:
't-panic-just-wait-for-a-more-convenient-truth-urges-howard/2006/11/13/1163266484014.html#Lastly, a comment based on some things I read in the Jerusalem Post last night. The left here and in Europe may not be taking Ahmedinejad seriously, as proven by that unwatchable Mike Wallace interview, but I'm going to tell you right now that Israelis have had enough. They've also had enough concerning the Palestinians. With Europe being completely unsympathetic, with Iran's nuclear games only being given lip service, and with bodies piling up on a daily basis on both sides of the border with Gaza, I've been hearing many Israelis stating that they want this nonsense to END, period, and what does that mean? It means this shit is going to come to a head very soon. When told that it would end if they could just give up more land, they say "We gave them Gaza and now it is only more or less a staging ground for attacks." If there was ever a time to prove to people that diplomacy is the only solution, it is now, but I have my doubts.
Yes Ajay I think technically it's fine to say that a new direction would mean new leadership in Congress. All I'm wondering is what is that new direction going to be? I'm getting so many messages from different Democrats it's hard to discern.
It's funny to listen to the sore loser(s) here.
Firstly: there is no "you guys" and "we guys" here. It is precisely this sort of a tribal thinking that puts us in the mess we are in.
Secondly: what policy decision did the Republicans take? How much money to take from Abramoff? How to gerrymander the districts to ensure Republican victories? Which company to give the next no-bid contract??
Thirdly: it had been clear for quite some time that the people (you know, the voters, the people who theoretically should have the real power?) were unhappy with the way things were going, but the Republicans did nothing except rubber-stamp proposals from the Administration. Well, the voters had had enough and the results show it.
All I ask of the Congress is oversight, responsibility and accountability. Enact fair laws; make sure that the laws on the books are being followed; and hold the Administrations feet to the fire. I don't really care if it's the Democrats or the Republicans running the Congress, as long as they're doing their jobs. No one in his/her right mind would claim that the previous 2 Congresses even remotely came close to doing what the people elected them to do.
Now I'm really not into the federal gov't dictating every bit of my life and saying what I can and can't do- but after a while on the lung cancer service I will just say the day tobacco disappears from the earth can not come soon enough.
And I went to the forest/elmwood gas station the other day, and they have up such a bitchy whiny baby sign. Complaining that they got their tobacco license taken away. They said "they took it away without even considering the impact it would have on our finances". Aww, poor babies, got in trouble for breaking the law. waah waah. i hate it when that happens.
[forgive my bitchiness I have had a day from hell and am about to lose it.]
Ajay thats a fairly cheeky thing to suggest. What we are talking about is substantive policy decisions - most of which even the Democrats themselves are in disagreement on.
"Sticking up for the voters?" Ajay - do you mean to suggest that when the Democrats lose, the voters voices aren't being heard, and when the Democrats win it is then and then alone that the voters voices are being heard? You guys won this one - at least take some time to enjoy it (hook me up with some substantive policy decisions if you can get around to it) and stop being so paranoid. Sheesh! Nobody is *coughahemcough* "stealing" it from you this time! Ha.
"The Democrats have tried hard to sell "new direction" as their slogan, while at the same time denying what that new direction really means."
Questioning the Administration's policies itself would be a "new direction", no? Given the supine behavior of the Republican-led Congress in the past, just standing up for the voters is, IMHO, a new direction.