The pickle in which Progressives/Liberals find themselves (and the only way out):

[rateyes]

A few weeks ago, I was watching one of the "news" channels (don't remember which one, nor who was talking) and, one of the guests speaking about progressives/liberals said--and I'm paraphrasing---that Democratic leadership in Congress has the luxury of taking the progressive/liberal wing of the party for granted---that the leadership really doesn't need to listen to progressives/liberals---because they know that the only place that progressives/liberals have to run is to the Democratic party.

Think about that. Congress, under Democratic leadership, can pass funding for the Iraq war over and over again, and though the progressive/liberals are angered---it doesn't matter in the end, because the leadership knows that come election day we progressives/liberals will go to the polls, hold our noses, and keep voting for even the most conservative Democrats in the name of having a "Democratic Majority."

Congress can pass FISA legislation giving immunity to the telecoms, backed by none other than Harry Reid---the supposed LEADER of the majority---and, as angry as the base becomes, we'll still pull the lever beside the names of those who capitulated to the administration because we have no other alternative---no place to run other than into the arms of those who have ignored us time and time again, because the alternative is even worse.

Congress, to throw the base a bone in an attempt to keep us happy and make themselves look like they are actually doing something, can issue subpoena after subpoena---and, then not enforce them in the name of "we don't have the votes"--again, making progressives/liberals mad as hell---and, in the end the leadership knows we'll come crawling back on election day and put the incumbents back in office.

Nancy Pelosi can take "impeachment off the table"---and progressives/liberals will be up in arms demanding that she put it back on the table---and, she'll just blow us off with the line "we've got other more pressing priorities" and, as angry as we are, she'll not only be re-elected to her seat, but she'll also be elected by her colleagues as Speaker of the House, yet again.

My progressive and liberal friends, you know this is the case. The Democratic wing of the Democratic party has become irrelevant to electoral politics. We are taken for granted because the leadership believes (because they have no reason to believe otherwise) that we will keep voting for Democratic candidates, no matter what.

Therefore, regardless of which party is in power, our concerns will always be the last to be addressed. That's a political reality.

So, how do we change it? How do we progressives/liberals become relevant again? I hate to say it, but the answer, I believe, is in banding together and refusing to vote for any candidate who does not subscribe to our ideals of a government with three co-equal branches of government that is run according to the Constitution.

That means we will have to put up challengers to some Democratic incumbents in Democratic caucuses and primaries. That also means that we might even have to withhold our votes in the General Election from people like Representative Jim Marshall (my representative) even if it means for the short term we have to live with a damned Republican.

We have to say loud and clear to the Democratic Leadership, "WE WILL NO LONGER BE TAKEN FOR GRANTED. If you will not do the job that you were elected to do, we will withhold our votes from you, and find someone who will. And, if we can't find that someone, we will still withhold our votes from you."

In my business, if I don't do my job, I will be fired. The same should hold true for our elected Representatives and Senators.

"What," you say, "if this course leads the Democratic party back to "minority status?" Let me ask: Was it really that bad when we were in the minority? Look at all the legislation that has been favorable to Bush and his cronies, that has hurt the Democratic Party and the country, that has been passed and signed into law AFTER the Democrats became the majority party! We're still funding a war. We still have politics being played in the Justice Department. We are still condoning torture. Bush continues to commit war crimes with impunity.

I'm looking long term here...50 years down the road to when my children will be retiring. Something has to change, or they are in deep trouble. And, change will not come if we progressives/liberals keep acting in the same fashion we've acted for the past 20 years...allowing ourselves to be taken for granted, and running to the "Party" for answers that never come.

This country was never meant to be ruled by one political party. It was meant to be ruled by "we the people." We, the people, have to change, because if we continue to do what we always did, we will always get what we always got. Doing the same things over and over again, and expecting different results, is pure insanity.

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