I thought about this the last couple of days. There are many in Congress who could be speaking out right now....they are afraid of this administration. This was written in 04, so maybe Howard Dean is afraid now as well....afraid that a president with no conscience could put the country in danger for political reasons.
Although I was often criticized during the campaign for coming on so strongly, I think Americans desperately want a president who will clearly, forcefully, and unambiguously state their case. George Bush's greatest strength, despite being wrong on virtually every issue of long-term importance to the country, is that he always speaks with conviction in defending his policies.
From You Have the Power,Fall 2004.
P. 124, 125
Bush has no trouble intimidating. I don't know what it will take to make our Democrats less afraid. The Republicans are acting like spoiled brats, yelling and having temper tantrums...and our Democrats are allowing them to get away with it.
When good people act cowardly...the main reason is fear. Fear of what?
More from 2004...this is not new. It is just getting worse. It is just a few driving it, I believe.
"For Democrats to offer voters significant change over the long term, we need to say what we mean and not be afraid of the consequences. But there is a price to be paid for candor, as I and others inclined to speak our minds have discovered the hard way. There is no reward now in politics for saying what you think. On the contrary in the go-along-get-along world of Washington, politicians are penalized for saying what they believe; and insincerity is the culture of the currency.
America's politicians attack one another by day and slap one another on the back by evening. They can play this game because they know their fighting words have no real meaning. And the media play right along, reporting on the game as though it were a story of substance. Indeed the game becomes the story, and discussions of substance are relegated to the newspapers' inside pages if indeed they are covered at all."
Our fears of standing up enabled the rise of the radical right. I was criticized here before for posting that statment...but here it is again. I think fear is enabling the Republicans to bully us.
SNIP..."We became afraid of the Right, afraid of the anger, and instead of being steadfast, we pandered....The Democratic Party has paid a big price for that. Worse, our people have paid a big price for the collapse of our will to lead. We failed to articulate a vision for American that keyed into Americans' hope of overcoming economic and social instability. ..."
...."By remaining silent about the things that mattered so much to Americans, we allowed ourselves to be painted into a corner and to be defined by the Republican opposition. .."
Then he says this kind of behavior "laid the groundwork for the rise of the radical right".
I do feel they were cornered and trapped on this issue. I believe they were afraid that an attack would happen if they did not go along.
But there comes a time when they must stand up.
