Just one issue

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Friday December 29, 2006 · 5:09 PM PST

2006/12/29 · 17:09

Joe Lieberman's latest obnoxious screed calling for more death and destruction in Iraq as the only acceptable option to bring about "victory" (whatever that means), besides serving as Exhibit Z in the case for Joe as one of the most craven, dishonest political figures of our generation, also functions as a not-too-gentle reminder for the Lieberman apologists last summer who claimed that Joe wasn't that big of a problem because he was such a reliable Democrat on most other matters, and the Iraq war was "just one issue".

Arguing that Iraq is "just one issue", of course, is like arguing that if it weren't for the temperature, Winnipeg's climate would be perfectly suitable for growing sugarcane, or that the sun is just one of many bodies in our solar system, or that arm strength is just one component of a baseball pitcher's abilities.

It's just one issue, after all.

Buzzer

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Wednesday December 27, 2006 · 6:32 PM PST

2006/12/27 · 18:32

Since the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Democratic Party has been the political entity in America that has stood for racial justice -- both in perception and in reality. As we all know, Republicans hatched their Southern Strategy at that time, embarking on two generations of race-baiting, coded (and not-so-coded) minority-bashing, and general demagoguing on "protecting" "normal" Americans from scary non-Caucasians, foreign and domestic.

This is well understood, even by low-information voters -- the Republicans have an image problem when it comes to race. It's the reason that despite their endless attempts to engage in minority group "outreach", Republicans usually fall flat in elections with minorities. And when Republicans are in power, the legislative agenda that ensues is almost always toxic to minority groups -- a fact that is not lost upon minority Americans. Whatever the Democrats' many imperfections on race issues, they've always been the party more amenable to the big tent, racially speaking.

Buzzer

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Saturday September 30, 2006 · 9:03 AM PDT

2006/09/30 · 09:03

Back during the Samuel Alito hearings, I recall many Kos contributors -- particularly Armando -- performing exhaustive research and building strong, powerful arguments against Alito's confirmation. Few of these arguments had anything to do with simplistic "litmus tests" on any particular issue; they were, instead, broad-based, philosophical arguments that formed a potent narrative and provided an intellectually honest basis for keeping Alito off the SCOTUS.

All this work was provided for free, by dedicated Americans and Democrats concerned about the implications of Alito on the Court. The same Democrats who elected the various Senators entrusted with vetting Alito and making an informed decision to confirm or reject him.
Read More

Torture, Religion, Democrats, and Obama

Buzzer

Community (This content is not subject to review by Daily Kos staff prior to publication.)

Monday September 25, 2006 · 4:57 PM PDT

2006/09/25 · 16:57

Like many Kossacks, I have mixed feelings about Senator Barack Obama. When he wants to be, he can be a marvelous ambassador for the Democratic Party, as an attractive, articulate, and forward-looking public official. But he can also be infuriating in his tendency to tumble into Republican frames and level criticisms at the Democratic Party, providing the opposition with too many easy soundbites.

One of the recurring themes in Obama's rhetoric is that the Democrats are too often perceived as running away from religion, and that for Democrats to re-integrate themselves with their natural constituencies in working- and middle-class Americans, party officials need to project a more open and embracing attitude towards religion. This is a repetition of a (false) Republican frame, but whatever its accuracy, Obama's developed a reputation for believing it, and he's often quoted on this theme, for better and for worse. Read More

Run against Republicanism, not just Republicans

Buzzer

Community (This content is not subject to review by Daily Kos staff prior to publication.)

Monday September 04, 2006 · 11:19 AM PDT

2006/09/04 · 11:19

As we enter the heavy campaign season, there's been no dearth of voices weighing in on what the best strategy is for Democrats nationwide to take back the House and Senate. We need to focus on local issues. No, we need to nationalize the election. We should talk about Iraq every day. No, we must avoid Iraq like the plague. We need to ask "Where's Osama?" every day. No, because that'll just set up a "Here he is!" October surprise. We need to be nice to Bush, to avoid "offending" the middle. No, that's silly; the middle's long lost confidence in him. And on and on the advice swirls all around.

I am adding my own point of view into what the Democrats need to do. To me, it's actually pretty simple. The Democrats should communicate to the public the basic premise that The Republican worldview -- Republicanism -- is bad for America. And then campaign on how the Democratic worldview is better, and how we'll be implementing it if we get back into power. Read More

It wasn't just the netroots; boots on the ground matter

Buzzer

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Wednesday August 09, 2006 · 7:10 PM PDT

2006/08/09 · 19:10

Reams of newsprint and gobs of pixels will be expended in the next few days pontificating about the influence of the netroots in Ned Lamont's stunning victory over Joe Lieberman in yesterday's primary. But the netroots didn't win this election for Lamont any more than baseball bats win games for the Boston Red Sox. Ultimately, it's the players who matter -- and the Ned Lamont campaign put an all-star team on the field. And it wasn't just the starting lineup; the bench, the announcers, the groundskeepers and the concession workers were all top-notch members of the team.

Buzzer

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Saturday July 22, 2006 · 12:02 PM PDT

2006/07/22 · 12:02

It now seems inevitable that we will plunge into yet another destructive Middle East war -- one that will have a direct and tangible impact on Americans' homefront lives in a way the Iraq war never quite has. Between the new human carnage in the theater, the increased threats of terrorism at home, the economy-destroying higher costs of energy (noted by Bonddad in his diary), and the inevitable further clamping down on independent thought in our now-fragile democracy (don't ya know there's a war on), America is now headed for an even rougher period than it's been dealing with since BushCo got in. Read More

Lieberman as an archetype

Buzzer

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Friday July 07, 2006 · 7:32 PM PDT

2006/07/07 · 19:32

As the discussion here and elsewhere unfolded in the wake of the Lieberman-Lamont debate last night, some contributors here noted that the attacks on Joe Lieberman had become increasingly vicious and personal, and that as angry as we might be with Joe's various antics, that we would be well-advised to keep our criticisms professional and issue-based. Our desire to bury Joe Lieberman's political career, in many ways, has overwhelmed our ability to retain our perspective.

Those postings made me think a bit. I will admit that I personally have been as guilty as anyone of the vitriol aimed at Connecticut's junior senator. But I can understand the sentiments of the posters -- as damaging as Joe Lieberman, the political figure, has been to the Democrats and to the nation, Joe Lieberman, the person, doesn't deserve to be described by some of the over-the-top epithets attached to him. He's still a human being, going through enormous stress. And I don't believe he's anywhere near as evil and black-hearted a man as, say, Dick Cheney. Read More

Yearly Kos -- HELP! Where do I go tomorrow?

Buzzer

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Wednesday June 07, 2006 · 5:10 PM PDT

2006/06/07 · 17:10

Sorry for the short diary (Go Tester!) but I've been searching all over for info and I can find any. I'm here in Vegas ready for Yearly Kos. Activities start at 8 tomorrow. I'm registered and everything. My question is, where do I go tomorrow morning to get my "packet" and "credentials" for the conference? Do I just walk up to a presentation? What do I do? Any info would be appreciated.

And I'm looking forward to seeing everyone! This weekend's gonna rock!

-- Buzzer

My conversation with a longtime Republican

Buzzer

Community (This content is not subject to review by Daily Kos staff prior to publication.)

Saturday May 20, 2006 · 7:17 AM PDT

2006/05/20 · 07:17

Late Friday afternoon, as I was wrapping up my day, a coworker of mine came in briefly to pick up something. "Lee" works in a different office and I deal with him once every couple of weeks or so. He's an ex-Marine, a talker, and a very nice man. But given his background, occasional bits of idle chatter, and other clues, I'd concluded that he was a pretty hardcore Republican, so I'd always avoided political talk with him.

He started the small talk -- "So, Buzz, got any big weekend plans?" -- and then, out of the blue... Read More

Outflanking the Republicans on immigration

Buzzer

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Wednesday March 22, 2006 · 3:46 PM PST

2006/03/22 · 15:46

The Republicans haven't just telegraphed that they're going to use immigration as a wedge issue in this year's midterms -- they've flown fighter jets across the country dragging big, red banners proclaiming as much, skywriting "IMMIGRANTS SUCK" in 500-point Palatino font and backlighting the message with a few hundred blowtorches.

Curiously absent from the Republicans' anti-immigrant rhetoric is a call for any kind of action to be taken against those who would employ such craven lawbreakers. Not only does this reveal the Republicans' intent to demagogue the issue without actually DOING anything about it, it offers a perfect opening to the Democrats to seize the initiative and frame the issue to their advantage. Read More

Time for a STRONG Democratic stand to protect our ports!

Buzzer

Community (This content is not subject to review by Daily Kos staff prior to publication.)

Sunday February 26, 2006 · 8:35 AM PST

2006/02/26 · 08:35

It was a given that Bill Frist, John McCain, Bob Ehrlich, and the other Republican lickspittles would cave to the White House on the UAE ports issue, after their initial blustering. They've all already shown their stripes as cowardly, pathetic Bush/Cheney toadies, so their flip-flops on port security come as no surprise.

But that's beside the point in the greater scheme of things. The REAL issue now is how the DEMOCRATS react.

For the first time perhaps since The Event That Changed Everything, the Democrats have been HANDED an issue in which they can differentiate themselves from the Republicans on national security in a way that appeals to those elusive red-state voters the DLC crowd is always trying so desperately to chase.

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Just one issue

Democrats, Republicans, and false equivalences on race

Narrative-Building: The Democrats' Greatest Weakness

Torture, Religion, Democrats, and Obama

Run against Republicanism, not just Republicans

It wasn't just the netroots; boots on the ground matter

The Ultimate Costs of Democratic Timidity

Lieberman as an archetype

Yearly Kos -- HELP! Where do I go tomorrow?

My conversation with a longtime Republican

Outflanking the Republicans on immigration

Time for a STRONG Democratic stand to protect our ports!