Tag: 2003

Circular firing squad threatens to derail anti-Bush momentum

One of the first articles I wrote for Democracy Means You was a hopeful look at the progressive renaissance. I still believe that we have much to look forward to, but our chances in ’04 seem to be diminishing. I refer not to the capture of Saddam Hussein — he’ll likely be long forgotten come November — but to the vicious infighting among the Democratic candidates. While a healthy, clean fight in the primary is good in the long run, the Democrats are long past healthy or clean. When Rove’s strategy for the general election is to recycle attacks from the primaries, things have gotten out of hand:…

Who’s really running things at the White House?

During the Cold War, the politics and rivalries within the Soviet Union could seem so bizarre and arcane that an entire field of “study” was developed to try and untangle it. Dubbed “Kremlinology,” this study was as much guesswork and psychology as intelligence gathering.

It is at once telling and disturbing that our own executive branch has become so secretive that some are comparing the job of discerning its motives to Kremlinology.…

Bush sides with Communism, against Democracy

Well, well, well. George W. Bush shows his true colors. Maybe this is why they call them red states.

Okay, maybe that’s a bit unfair (though certainly the sort of thing many conservatives would say if the positions were reversed). However, I find it very interesting that our “with us or against us” president, who refuses to compromise on freedom for nations with massive oil reserves, is turning against long-time ally Taiwan:…

Ignorance of Diversity is Business As Usual

I’ve tried to keep my articles calm and considered of late. However, on occasion, the Bush administration’s sheer brazenness stuns even me. For example, from the White House’s own website (though I can’t guarantee that the file will remain there long once word gets out):

Colby, from Centralia MO writes: Do you feel that Pagan faith based groups should be given the same considerations as any other group that seeks aid?

Jim Towey I haven’t run into a pagan faith-based group yet, much less a pagan group that cares for the poor! Once you make it clear to any applicant that public money must go to public purposes and can’t be used to promote ideology, the fringe groups lose interest.

Why the election will come down to turnout

Does anyone really believe that conservative pundits have the Democratic party’s best interests at heart?

Apparently, the Democratic candidate (no matter who that candidate is) will lose by pandering to some mythical “shrill and unstable” party base, which is going to drive the center to the Republicans. If only they’d be more supportive of unpopular wars with dubious origins, stop asking questions about unprecedented corruption and deceit, and fighting the “class warfare” that the right wing began over twenty years ago, they might have a chance in the 2004 election. Of course, by this calculation, the Democrats will probably still lose, but at least it won’t be a blowout.…