Comments on: What does it mean to be a Democrat anymore?

By: Jonathan Cook

Jonathan Cook — Sun, 25 Feb 2007 18:44:19 +0000

For the record, Krys, Michael Arcuri has not done a single thing to work against the Military Commissions Act. You know, habeas corpus revoked and all that.

There’s a bill introduced into the House of Representatives to bring habeas corpus back, but Michael Arcuri won’t co-sponsor it.

Just like Arcuri promised, he is supporting the Military Commissions Act. How, as a Democrat, do you feel about that?

Is it “marginal” now to support habeas corpus, and oppose the legalization of torture? Is that just some liberal fringe thing?

My Mama raised me not to support politicians who promote themselves on platforms that undermine America’s basic freedoms. Really, she did.

By: Krys Cail

Krys Cail — Sun, 25 Feb 2007 14:09:57 +0000

I think that what it means to be a Democrat in Ulysses is that you act as an election inspector in order to have fair elections be possible, make the phone calls to try to persuade people to actually vote, put up the signs, distribute the literature, try (and it is very hard) to recruit good candidates for local offices, try to influence the candidates that are elected to work for the good of the town, write letters to newspapers and elected officials, serve on town boards and committees, help people get registered to vote, attend county committee meetings (where, lately, you are held responsible for the lack of racial diversity in your community), represent your town at listening sessions held by Congressmen and Senators….. and then have the “too cool for that” T-burg crowd tell you what a loser you are for not supporting marginal candidates without a prayer of winning, or not trashing your dedicated, hard-working, volunteer county chair. Oh well, my Mama raised me to be active in my community and do my best, whether you got thanked or not.

By: Big Dogs Weblog

Big Dogs Weblog — Sat, 09 Dec 2006 00:14:33 +0000

What does it mean to be a Democrat anymore?…

In order to be a Democrat you must posses the ability to hold two opposing thoughts on the same set of circumstances. The key to success is that you actually believe that you are right in both cases and can not see the stupidity of your acts. Additio…

By: NYCO’s Blog » Thoughts on the election

NYCO’s Blog » Thoughts on the election — Wed, 08 Nov 2006 23:51:14 +0000

[...] Like many others, I am not quite sure that Eliot Spitzer gets it. If he does not, he needs to listen to the surprisingly angst-ridden voices of upstate New Yorkers on the not-so-far-left who ought to be feeling a lot happier, such as New York Liberal (New York Democrats Struggle for Integrity) and Finding Ulysses (What Does it Mean To Be a Democrat Anymore?) [...]

By: Jonathan Cook

Jonathan Cook — Sun, 29 Oct 2006 17:15:39 +0000

No thoughts on Hillary’s pro-torture comments, Allen?

On Nancy Pelosi – a promise is not a plan. I see no unity among the Democrats on the Iraq matter, just a lot of vague criticisms, and a jumble of contradicting promises.

A criticism of the Military Commissions Act is not a move to revoke it. Feingold saying that he’d like to revoke it is good, but as before, he will get no backup from the Democratic leadership. Remember censure? They shot him down. They’ll do the same to Conyers.

The Democrats will allow investigations, but those investigations will have no consequences, so what do they matter? Pelosi said impeachment is off the table and called it “a waste of time”.

I’d like to know more about Les Roberts coming to the fire hall. I’d really love to hear his thoughts about what happened within the Democratic Party this election cycle, and about impact of a lack of a primary that his dropout caused. I’d like to hear if he plans to run again, and if he does, if he’ll make the same promise he made earlier this year that he’d see it through all the way to the primary.

By: Allen Carstensen

Allen Carstensen — Sat, 28 Oct 2006 19:13:33 +0000

I agree with much of what you are saying here, but I think you’re going a little overboard:

Jon said “However, when that victory comes, Democratic voters are going to have to wake up on the morning of November 8, and realize that they have become responsible for a Congress led by a politician who has pledged not to hold George W. Bush accountable for his crimes, a Congress that has no plans to revoke the Military Commissions Act, and a Congress that still has no plan for how to end the Iraq War.”

Jon is referring to Nancy Pelosi, who will be the Majority Leader if the democrats get a majority.

from Pelosi’s website:

Rep. Pelosi has joined with Rep. Murtha in calling for the redeployment of U.S. forces from Iraq to make our country safer, our military stronger, and the region more stable.

sounds like a plan to me, and on the Military Commissions Act:

“In addition, because the bill allows the President to interpret the Geneva Conventions through executive order, it invites other countries to do the same, thereby weakening the international legal standards that have protected our troops for decades.”

sounds just like Jon.

John Conyers will be the head of the House Judiciary Committee. He is the author of “George W. Bush Versus the U.S. Constitution: The Downing Street Memos and Deception, Manipulation, Torture, Retribution, Coverups in the Iraq War and Illegal Domestic Spying” You don’t think he gonna look into Bush’s crimes?

There hasn’t been a lot of talk about reversing the Military Commissions Act because Bush would veto a reversal. Feingold said he would try anyway, thereby forcing Bush to veto it, then take that into the 08 elections.

But you’re right. We have to infiltrate the Democratic Party and make sure that they represent our values. Les Roberts will be speaking at the Trumansburg Fire Hall on Nov. 17th at 7pm. We can ask him about how to take back our party. We should start very soon. If we wait until a few months before the elections in 08, we won’t stand a chance of unseating the incumbent, wether it’s Arcuri or Meier.