As in that tired old joke, the girl asking if she will be respected in the morning after giving in to sexual advances is asking the wrong thing. Because she isn't respected even before she gives in to his carnal ambitions.
Well this woman is tired of being seduced by politicians at election time, and abandoned right after she gives her vote; as the politician returns to his barely concealed higher loyalties.
And as a voter, I am beyond tired of having my "no" being interpreted as yes.
Yes, the vote against Lieberman should send a message. The message is more than the war. It is that we the voters, not the pundits, not the lobbyists, not the consultants, not the party, not the numerous thinktanks, nor beltway insiders; are the constituency of those elected to represent us. We have the power and the responsibility to boot out of office anyone who is confused about this, no matter how inconvenient incumbents find this little fact.
We are tired of the use of labels and carefully crafted slogans used to divide us and confuse the issues. We are tired of a political climate in which deception is clever politics. We know that even while the term liberal was successfully demonized, voters were in favor of many of the policies usually considered liberal. As anyone who has looked at polls can tell you most voters want universal healthcare, government social security, affordable high education, a livable wage, fair trade; and while most voters do not like taxes they are willing to accept a little more tax to get these things.
We are not some small group of left-wing extremists rising up to thwart the will of the majority, rather we are well within the mainstream. It is patently ridiculous for the hundreds of voices in Washington to claim that a majority vote by tens of thousands of citizens is an insurgency of narrow special interest. In fact this is a rising up of the average voter to say "enough, you won't respect us, you will have to fear us." Because ultimately even though special interests may have the money to make politics as usual function, we have the votes and can draw that final line in the sand.
Take this message seriously. Go back to Washington and prove that you respect the voter, or start packing your bags.
Elected officials can prove they respect the voters by a important changes in how they conduct business:
1. Concentrate on issues of real concern to the people of this country rather than wedge or hot button issues. People are dying from lack of healthcare in this country, not from flags being burned.
2. We want transparency. Return to the policy of having bills published 3 days or more before they are voted on, giving congress and the public enough time to really understand what is in a bill.
3. Bills should stay on topic. Stop sneaking unrelated issues into a bill.
4. Legislation should be written by congress and their staffs, rather than being written by lobbyists. To have regulations on an industry written by lobbyists for that industry is contemptible.