thedrifter
11-16-05, 06:30 AM
Left to Their Devices
By Lisa Fabrizio
Published 11/16/2005 12:06:13 AM
Liberals are racing the clock. Less than a year separates them from realizing their dream of retaking Congress, staying even, or worse, losing more seats to the Republicans. Although the media is mesmerized by the startling fact that Democrats retained two governorships last week, recent history suggests that they are going nowhere fast.
While Republicans are also experiencing tough times that often accompany majority status, recent events have emboldened their conservative wing, so they are in a strong position to re-orient the GOP course starboard before the next elections. Not so the liberals, whose efforts seem to be dragging the Democratic Party further down.
In February, they dumped Terry McAuliffe in favor of Howard Dean as head of the Democratic National Committee, reportedly as part of a deal in which Dean would receive the reins in return for his not opposing Hillary Clinton's presidential run in 2008. The idea, ones supposes, was that they might harness his "energy" in a positive way; which is nicer than calling it blackmail.
So far the price paid by the party has been steep, especially in the area of fund-raising. Instead of delivering the numerous donations via the Internet he generated during his brief but manic presidential campaign, Dean is falling short of the Republicans by a stinging two-to-one margin. As the Washington Post noted, "Donors are a little skeptical that the DNC is a good investment."
A little skeptical is putting it mildly: "One House Democratic leadership aide, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to preserve relations with Dean's operation, put it more bluntly: 'There is plenty of time, but the red flashing sirens should be going off there.'"
So while their financial wing is not producing, liberals must trust their media division to do battle on the propaganda front and, until recently, they've been earning their stripes. Their strategy focuses mainly on President Bush's failed Iraq policies and though it's taken them nearly forty years, they are finally back up to their full Vietnam strength of biased, anti-war reportage. But this time, although they have been successful in turning the minds of some Americans against the war, the current Commander in Chief remains steadfast.
And, though you'd be hard-pressed to read about it in your daily newspaper or see it on your network news broadcast and despite continuing violence, we are winning in Iraq and making great progress in the War on Terror. Both Afghan President Hamid Karzai and Iraqi President Jalal Talabani have hinted at the gradual withdrawal of Coalition troops in the very near future, yet the media show no sign of standing down their attacks on our policies.
Still, they can't keep the hard news closeted forever. In the past it's been pretty easy:
Saddam's regime toppled in three weeks? Rioting and looting prevail.
Early turnover of sovereignty to the Iraqis? Abu-Ghraib twenty-four/seven.
Successful General Assembly elections? Two thousand American GIs dead.
Approval of a new Iraqi Constitution? Scooter Libby lied!
Yet while the liberal media still refuse to concede steady progress in Iraq, Democrats in Congress are practically acknowledging as much. Now, it's not whether we are winning the Iraq War, it's how and why we conducted it in the first place. Although hearings, hearings, and more hearings to prove that Bush lied us into war have already been completed, the left will try to drag out further inquisitions, at least until the 2006 elections.
In the past these tactics have paid off, but -- as laid out in a scathingly brilliant piece by conservative icon Norman Podhoretz -- this time it appears there's just too much evidence to the contrary. From the blatant lies of Joe Wilson to the numerous past citations -- lovingly preserved at conservative websites -- of Democrats warning of Iraq WMDs, further probing might not be all that Dr. Dean ordered.
The Democrats still have time to change their platform from one of attack-and-destroy to one that actually puts forth ideas that will benefit the country. That won't be easy. Their dominant liberal wing would rather relive victories from long ago than deal with the reasons for their more recent losses.
Lisa Fabrizio is a columnist who hails from Connecticut. You may write her at mailbox@lisafab.com.
Ellie
By Lisa Fabrizio
Published 11/16/2005 12:06:13 AM
Liberals are racing the clock. Less than a year separates them from realizing their dream of retaking Congress, staying even, or worse, losing more seats to the Republicans. Although the media is mesmerized by the startling fact that Democrats retained two governorships last week, recent history suggests that they are going nowhere fast.
While Republicans are also experiencing tough times that often accompany majority status, recent events have emboldened their conservative wing, so they are in a strong position to re-orient the GOP course starboard before the next elections. Not so the liberals, whose efforts seem to be dragging the Democratic Party further down.
In February, they dumped Terry McAuliffe in favor of Howard Dean as head of the Democratic National Committee, reportedly as part of a deal in which Dean would receive the reins in return for his not opposing Hillary Clinton's presidential run in 2008. The idea, ones supposes, was that they might harness his "energy" in a positive way; which is nicer than calling it blackmail.
So far the price paid by the party has been steep, especially in the area of fund-raising. Instead of delivering the numerous donations via the Internet he generated during his brief but manic presidential campaign, Dean is falling short of the Republicans by a stinging two-to-one margin. As the Washington Post noted, "Donors are a little skeptical that the DNC is a good investment."
A little skeptical is putting it mildly: "One House Democratic leadership aide, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to preserve relations with Dean's operation, put it more bluntly: 'There is plenty of time, but the red flashing sirens should be going off there.'"
So while their financial wing is not producing, liberals must trust their media division to do battle on the propaganda front and, until recently, they've been earning their stripes. Their strategy focuses mainly on President Bush's failed Iraq policies and though it's taken them nearly forty years, they are finally back up to their full Vietnam strength of biased, anti-war reportage. But this time, although they have been successful in turning the minds of some Americans against the war, the current Commander in Chief remains steadfast.
And, though you'd be hard-pressed to read about it in your daily newspaper or see it on your network news broadcast and despite continuing violence, we are winning in Iraq and making great progress in the War on Terror. Both Afghan President Hamid Karzai and Iraqi President Jalal Talabani have hinted at the gradual withdrawal of Coalition troops in the very near future, yet the media show no sign of standing down their attacks on our policies.
Still, they can't keep the hard news closeted forever. In the past it's been pretty easy:
Saddam's regime toppled in three weeks? Rioting and looting prevail.
Early turnover of sovereignty to the Iraqis? Abu-Ghraib twenty-four/seven.
Successful General Assembly elections? Two thousand American GIs dead.
Approval of a new Iraqi Constitution? Scooter Libby lied!
Yet while the liberal media still refuse to concede steady progress in Iraq, Democrats in Congress are practically acknowledging as much. Now, it's not whether we are winning the Iraq War, it's how and why we conducted it in the first place. Although hearings, hearings, and more hearings to prove that Bush lied us into war have already been completed, the left will try to drag out further inquisitions, at least until the 2006 elections.
In the past these tactics have paid off, but -- as laid out in a scathingly brilliant piece by conservative icon Norman Podhoretz -- this time it appears there's just too much evidence to the contrary. From the blatant lies of Joe Wilson to the numerous past citations -- lovingly preserved at conservative websites -- of Democrats warning of Iraq WMDs, further probing might not be all that Dr. Dean ordered.
The Democrats still have time to change their platform from one of attack-and-destroy to one that actually puts forth ideas that will benefit the country. That won't be easy. Their dominant liberal wing would rather relive victories from long ago than deal with the reasons for their more recent losses.
Lisa Fabrizio is a columnist who hails from Connecticut. You may write her at mailbox@lisafab.com.
Ellie