Editorials & Other Articles

failed to do.

I think that was politically motivated. They probably didn't think anybody in Congress would have their back. Remember, Democrats are, after all, the Great Capitulators. The ultimate Cavemen - at least up until recently. They probably thought they had to pick their battles and maybe this didn't affect individuals in need the way securing some sort of health care reform did. I'm sure they debated and weighed all the elements. Too much and too powerful pushback from the republi-CONS, and the CON-leaning media.

This actually makes me start wondering - were they testing the wind when Janet Napolitano, as Secretary of the Homeland Security Department, issued that study that warned about rising violence and disruption from "right-wing" (I HATE using the word "right" in this context, since the so-called "right" wing is ANYTHING BUT!) extremist groups as posing threats to safety and security on the domestic front? I'm sure they were attempting to pinpoint and understand where the threats might come from. That report came out pretty early in the Obama Administration. Do you suppose they were doing Obama-related risk-assessment? I'm sure there had to be a heightened awareness across the administration that racism might become more rampant again, since we were breaking new societal ground with the inauguration of the first Black politician to be elected President of the United States. I'm wondering if they reasoned that this historic event wouldn't sit well with some, and hoped to be able to head off a few things if the rabble turned ugly. It certainly occurred to me as the 2008 election drew closer and it seemed as though Obama had a good chance of winning. I had no idea the extent of the utterly irrational reaction - which I think is exactly where and why the teabagger plague erupted all over this country.

I bet the more hard-bitten realists and cynics among them knew they'd be facing some degree of uphill battle. Which means they probably got ruthlessly practical and picked their battles. And unfortunately, bringing the fucking war criminals to justice wasn't one of them. Maybe they thought health care reform was more important and that this was where they were gonna spend their political capital. They probably figured they'd lose on this one if they pressed it. Too much opposition and CONS strategically appointed to all the key lifetime and bureaucratic positions, lest we all forget how many of those assholes had bush/cheney's back, had the messaging muscle and media monopolies and armies of low-information Troglodytes behind them. Probably reasoned - "well, we'll wind up stalemated there so we won't get that and then the momentum will be against us and we won't get health care and certainly won't get more jobs programs either," and decided "well, let's try to at least get health care."

STILL does NOT make it right (as in correct, or moral), though.