The word "purist" is now replacing the words like "fringe activists" and "elitists" that were used against those of us who spoke out in 2003 and 2004.
We are called those things if we question actions our party is taking that are wrong and dangerous.
To quote two patriots from the past:
No legislative act contrary to the Constitution can be valid. To deny this would be to affirm that the deputy is greater than his principal; that the servant is above the master; that the representatives of the people are superior to the people; that men, acting by virtue of powers may do not only what their powers do not authorize, but what they forbid.
-- Alexander Hamilton
Any time we deny any citizen the full exercise of his constitutional rights, we are weakening our own claim to them.
-- Dwight D. Eisenhower
Just four years ago, the chairman of our party wrote some words in a book. He can't speak up about them now because his message is now the same as the Obama campaign, which is as it should be.
But I hope he is biting his tongue a lot. I spoke with someone at DFA offices yesterday, and it hurts them also to see that these words are forgotten.
During my presidential campaign I jokingly referred to the Democratic Leadership Council as the Republican wing of the Democratic Party. Some criticized this as a "gaffe". (The definition of a gaffe for Washington insiders is when you tell the truth, and they think you shouldn't have.) Yet it is true that the DLC contributed, however inadvertently, to the ascendancy of the Repubican Party by trumpeting the abandonment of the traditional values of the Democratic Party. We forgot that our values were what the people we represented needed, so our base became uninterested and despondent."
They abandoned the traditional interest groups of the party to get a stronger money base.
He had more to say.
"Democrats shouldn't be crossing party lines to help Republican ideology dominate, or breaking ranks to vote for measures like the Medicare prescription bill....There should be consequences for Democrats who do. For one thing, there is no reason not to pose primary challenges to Democratic incumbents who vote with the Republicans on critical Democratic priorities. When our own folks vote with Tom DeLay, it means that DeLay who is not stupid, gets to go to congressional Republicans from moderate districts and tell them he doesn't need their vote to pass his right-wing bill because he has enough Democratic votes to win."
"..Our opponents in Congress are extremists. We're fighting now for the future of our country and the future of democracy. To vote with the Republicans is to let extremism get the upper hand. In the past, our party's own ideal about inclusiveness kept us from having the necessary tools to fight. We need to toughen up. We can't afford to be divided by members peeling off on issues that touch upon our deeply held beliefs.
We don't need to march in lockstep on every vote. But on critical votes that touch on our key issues, Democrats can not abandon their core values. The history of the twentieth century teaches that we must never compromise with extremists."
Page 64, You Have the Power, 2004
We are now compromising with extremists. We did it on the FISA bill, and the Democratic leaders are already signaling a capitulation on
offshore drilling.The votes on the Iraq war resolution.
The votes on the bankruptcy bill.
Upcoming votes on privatizing Social Security, votes NOT being taken on fixing the horrible Medicare D drug plan.
Trade bill votes...fast track. Often done in secret.
Voting with the right wing to curb rights of women and gays.
Those are all votes that were compromising with people with extreme views.
There is going to be a fine line to walk from now on. For many of us who deep down see that what is happening is a dangerous path, it will be a hard one to walk.
There has to be a line drawn somewhere that we will not cross.
We can still do what we have to do to get Democrats back in power.
Now the question is what will they do with that power.
