Optimism extinguished

Any optimism that I felt in the spring of last year has been displaced by the leadership of Pelosi/Reed and missed opportunities to truly lead the Dems to big victories in 08. I wouldn't have given any Rethug much of a chance with all the scandal, civil war raging in Iraq, and shaky markets. But the Dem leadership gambled that passiveness would be the strategy in the lame duck months ahead. The decision to fund *'s surge, the decision not to pursue impeachment despite all the Justice Dept, illegal spying, torture cover-ups, and to let the occupation continue thinking that the civil war over there would unravel BushCo's long-term plans in Iraq, have one and all been huge miscalculations. The general population, no matter how badly they view Bush, is completely frustrated with this Congress.

No matter how tentative the cessation of violence has been since last fall and over the winter, McCain's campaign of a permanent occupation in the Mideast is gaining momentum among Rethugs and more acceptable to moderates. A McCain/Huckabee ticket, which is likely, may win over the Christian Conservatives, and solidify their ticket. On the other hand, our leading candidates, Clinton and Obama, have flailed at one another over race, of all things. I felt great optimism in Jan of last year. What I thought would be a triumphant 08, now looks to be a much closer race. Call me a pessimist, but "Joe Sixpack" is as unlikely to vote for a Democrat as ever. JMO. But, again, I want to point out opportunities lost by the passive gamble of Congressional leadership. If there is one thing that the Rethugs have over the Dems, it is their total commitment to their VALUES and REAGAN WORSHIP, no matter how bogus they both are. They speak clearly and don't shrink from a fight. Why didn't we stop the funding of this war, and certainly the funding for the surge, if we really felt passionate about ending this occupation? Why didn't we go after the corruption of this President when the topics of abuse were hot off the press? Shrinking violets and lost opportunities, I think.

the middle class. The ruling class has hundreds of billions to spend to get their way. If we expect a group of the rich, ruling class to have pity on the middle class, we are foolish.

I should have added that the Rethugs, in addition to taunting their love of Reaganomics and Conservative Values, can also taunt their love for War on End, Amen, and make it float in an alleged civilized society. They can launch an illegitimate invasion, then accept that everyone knows that the cause for war was totally baseless, and instead of apologizing, praise their own infamy and rally the press and the public to their war. "Support the Troops" decals and telling lies as fast and as loud as possible is all it took them to survive what should have been an impeachment.

Afraid you may be right. It's all one party of "Globalists" now. The people be damned.

they all play and they all know their roles well. I'm coming to terms with the fact that our government has been corrupt for longer than I've been alive, and certainly longer than the horrible BushCo years. I don't know how we can fight that. I hate knowing so damn much.

You feel betrayed. All that you thought was noble and proud have turned into illusions. I have felt that way for quite a long time. Never more so than since November 2000, though. Election night of 2000 and the days thereafter revealed the entire fraud to me. It's a fucking game now. You are spot on.

Optimism is for suckers.

Duke

I know that I'm probably going to start a shitstorm by saying this, but I'm starting to understand Obama's "Republicans were the party of ideas" comment. They were at least willing to try something risky and if it paid off they were geniuses. Dickheads and assholes sure, but geniuses. They impeached Bill Clinton. I wish we had the guts to impeach George Bush.