In many ways, Democrats deserved the huge slap in the face they received in this week's election. The really unfortunate part is that it had to come as a result of promoting right-wing fanatics who are hell bent on pushing their pro-business-at-all-cost and anti-humanity agenda with no regard to plunging the US deeper into the toilet than the Bush-Cheney years already achieved.
Dems and Obama both deserved this. Dems in Congress completely squandered the mandate they were given in 2008, and then proved once again they suck at running coordinated campaigns. They have been so focused on glowing in their glory, they really were not interested in reforming how business is done in Washington.
Obama deserved this because he completely forgot why and how he got his job as soon as he got inaugurated. He was quick to adopt the ways of DC, push half-solutions in backroom deals just to be able to say he got something done. He needed to stand his ground, even if that meant not getting any of his key reforms passed for the first 2 years. He needed to name and shame anyone blocking true reform, as opposed to losing the moral high ground once he started becoming one of them. Healthcare was trickier, he really should have started with Wall Street. A huge majority of voters would have stood behind him if he had tried to push true reform in this space. First error of course was to bring half of the Goldman Sachs exec suite to Washington with him!
As for the right-wing nuts who have completely monopolized the GOP agenda, I don't know what bothers me more: That many of them are utterly incompetent and downright intellectually challenged. That they lie, cheat and intimidate as the only way to beat their opponents, since they don't know what reasoned debate is and their ideas have no chance of prevailing on their own merits. That they claim to be patriots while completely selling out their country and constituents to benefit the few, rich and powerful who bankroll their campaigns. And so on. I guess it all bothers me. A lot.
I would pity them all if they weren't so dangerous. We saw during the Bush years what happens when these people have control. Jobs are lost. Lives are lost. Nature is raped senselessly. And the very rich get WAY richer.
John 'I fell asleep in the tanning booth' Boehner is pathetic. He said this week that President Obama needs to change to bow to the will of the people. Yeah, just like Boehner and his buddies did in 2008, right?
But let's go with it for a minute. Just like Boehner doesn't seem to believe that the overwhelming Democratic vote in 2008 was a mandate for Obama to push his agenda, let's also question whether the overwhelming Republican vote this week is a mandate for them to push their agenda.
Instead, let's do this. I challenge Boehner to commit to bowing to the will of the people. Let's setup a very broad national referendum - possibly as broad as the census - on the key questions that keep dividing this nation: Healthcare; gun control; abortion; tax reform; campaign finance reform; true democracy vs. the antiquated electoral college; etc...
We would make sure to do 2 things: 1) We would ensure a very thorough security system to make sure the results were not 'modifiable'. Biometric authentication with hard copy record of each vote to start. 2) Each party would agree to support legislation and/or constitutional amendments to enact the will of the people.
Ready? Watch Boehner and his buddies laugh off the idea. They know they only work for a small - albeit powerful - minority of voters in this country. They have absolutely no interest in enacting the will of the people.
If I was Obama, I'd go on the offensive for the next 2 years. Demand congressional investigations into possible war crimes and crimes against humanity by Bush, Cheney, Rumsfeld, Rove, and all other neo-cons who led this country to war on the basis of lies and fabrication, causing untold death and suffering. Demand campaign finance reform and expose in the process the huge sums of shady money that paid for the Republicans to get elected this week. Put them on the defensive. Scare their corporate backers into realizing they will be brought into the spotlight and their influence exposed.
And don't stop there. Shake up your cabinet. Fire Geithner for God's sake! Fire Gates and put a peace maker in that job. Demand nothing less than full accountability from everyone in your administration. Make examples out of those who don't get the message. Clean up your own house. You will regain the trust of the people if you follow through on what you promised your voters in 2008!
