January 2010

Now the Supreme Court weighs in with a political gift equivalent to what Massachusetts delivered Tuesday.  The five conservative Republican appointees to the Nation’s Highest Court today enshrined as law the following definition:  Corporations spending unlimited amounts of money to secure the election of candidates who will give them whatever they want is “free speech.”  If you thought Wall Street had adequately displayed its ownership of Congress by thwarting any meaningful financial reform in the wake of the financial system melt down, well stand by.  You ain’t seen nothin’ yet.

Republican Presidents appointed all the five justices issuing this radical ruling.  George Bush named two of the five.

Beginning in the administration of Ronald Reagan Republicans adopted policies that began the greatest transfer of wealth in American history.  The funnel, of course, has been aimed squarely at the bank accounts of the wealthiest of our citizens.  The Supreme Court now says the wealthiest, through the corporations they own, can spend unlimited amounts of money to secure the election of candidates who will watch their backs.

Can anyone still hear the graceful Lincoln words: government “of the people, by the people, for the people?”  I hear five justices singing government “of the wealthy, by the wealthy, for the wealthy.”  It is the government we get from the party chosen Tuesday by Massachusetts.

After the 1972 Presidential election many Massachusetts residents displayed a bumper sticker that read:  “Don’t blame me.  I’m from Massachusetts.”  It was the only state that voted for George McGovern over Richard Nixon.  As vast sums of new money flow to the 2010 Republican candidates for the House and Senate we’re going to need a new bumper sticker.

In the second day of so many trying to make so much sense of the special election in Massachusetts there is only one analysis that makes sense.  There is no sense to be made of the result.

People were angry about joblessness, mortgage foreclosures, health care and Wall Street?  If that’s true then the voters really are dumb.  They voted for a guy who will join 40 other Republicans in the Senate who can only speak one word:  “no.”  “No” to a stimulus that reduces joblessness, “no” to helping those struggling with foreclosure, “no” to health care reform, and “no” to any meaningful reform of banking regulation.

Even worse, Massachusetts’s voters have endorsed one of the most shameful and destructive political strategies in American history.  They’ve enabled the Republicans who believe that by standing in opposition to any solutions-ANY solutions-they will achieve the political result they live for-their need to retake power.  Remembering the 2000 to 2008 time period, won’t that be a great experience to relive?  Massachusetts apparently thinks so.  They endorsed it Tuesday.

This is not to say I don’t appreciate a protest vote.  If that’s what Massachusetts was up to they could have voted for Joe Kennedy the Libertarian on the ballot.  With intent, they chose the Republican.

Let me be clear, Democrats have indeed earned our anger.  They allow their colleagues-Lieberman and Nelson the best examples-to use the process to work against common good and for their own individual, petty desires.  They wallow in this sickening scene for nearly a full year.  They cower in the shadow of Wall Street’s titans.

We could rise from the ashes by taking advantage of the opportunity Massachusetts gifted to Democrats.  Now that 60 Senators is past history let’s establish some party discipline.  Remove Lieberman’s and Nelson’s seniority.  Take Lieberman’s Homeland Security committee and install a new chair who is not a certifiable head case and actually gives a damn about America.

Most importantly, may our President find the voice he walked away from as he left the campaign trail and moved into the White House.  We need his spirit, intelligence, capacity to restore America.  If he stands we will stand with him.  Together we will do what we knew we could do in November 2008.

We’ll find out January 27^th when President Barack Obama delivers the State of the Union.

Breathe in, breathe out, breathe in….

Multiple, complex factors form a political reality in Massachusetts.  Offer any explanation and the odds are good you’re at least partly right.  Before we drink the tea bagger brew though, let’s agree the country hasn’t suddenly taken a sharp right turn.  Democrats reflexively steering that direction sew the seeds that come harvest will exact a greater political cost.  The view from my window:

Summers and Geitner lead a Wall Street approach to promised financial reform.  The insurance industry gains billions in the name of universal health care.  Gays and lesbians endure less than human status with hardly a whimper from our national leaders.

Barack Obama as candidate passionately packaged values that joined a complex mixture of 53% of those who voted a year ago.  Barack Obama as governor massages a largely out of sight process.  The occasional glimpse reveals Joe Lieberman’s personal political rant holds greater power than reform.  The loud resulting noise is the air stampeding away from our January 2009 enthusiasm.

Yes, governing is different from campaigning.  Yes, Democrats cover a much larger political continuum than do Republicans and intra party discipline is harder.  Yes, Americans are not policy wonks.  But the strong majority that emerged to elect Barack Obama expects a government that adheres to its values.  Stand for the people as you said you would and fight the good fight.  Campaign reformer morphing to pragmatic President does not enthuse.

Democrats gifted political control of Congress to Republicans in 1994 with two sorry years of unforced errors.  Please, please could we avoid déjà vu?

This time Massachusetts warns.  Get up off the floor Democrats.  Stand and deliver.