I have been gone from DU for quite some time now. Today, on this very dark day, it seemed like a good time to return. Today, if the "great compromise" on Iraq is as reported, the American political process condemned more Americans and more Iraqis to death and condoned a legacy of violence and greed and imperial power. Today, there is blood all over the republican party; today, there is blood all over the Democratic Party.

We hear talk of deadlines and benchmarks and all the rest of the jargon that goes along with discussing the funding of continued US occupation of Iraq. We hear our very own Democrats using phrases like "there is no way we would not fund the troops." THIS IS NOT ABOUT "FUNDING THE TROOPS." Funding the war and occupation is not "funding the troops"; it is funding an illegal occupation in a country we should never have invaded in the first place and have no legitimate purpose for remaining in.

Make no mistake about it, Democrats are about to vote to give bush the ability to continue the occupation, continue the killing, continue the imperialism. There's no nice way to spin this. You either vote "yes" and authorize more funds for the madness or you vote "no". This is not and has never been about "funding the troops"; what the Democrats are doing is FUNDING BUSH.

Now some will talk about the "pragmatic" argument that "we just didn't have the votes". First, let me offer a great big f*%king BULLSHIT!!!! We should vote based on right and wrong and not based on whether we "have the votes". As many have already said, the Democrats should have given bush absolutely no choice. Funding should have been shut off for all purposes except the safe and rapid withdrawal of ALL AMERICAN TROOPS (including all 126,000 Blackwater hired killers) from Iraq.

And if you don't like that proposal, consider this one. It strikes me as appalling that this was not proposed by even a single Democrat. In fact, I can't say I've even seen this proposal on DU (at least not recently). Here's my idea: Democrats provide one month of funding for continued operations. During that month, they call on the Iraqi Parliament to hold a formal vote on whether they want the US military to remain in occupation. If they do, I would go along with funding until September (and not beyond) provided that an additional provision is added to the funding bill that prohibits any private company from profiting in any way from Iraqi oil and that no permanent bases will remain. If the Iraqi Parliament votes to kick out the US, a subsequent budget would provide only money for a safe withdrawal of ALL AMERICAN TROOPS as rapidly as possible.

Why have the Democrats, with the exception of Kucinich and a few others, not stood up before the American people loudly and clearly to speak against the theft of Iraqi oil. So many of us believe this whole war and occupation has been about nothing but oil and yet, those who supposedly represent us, say nothing. Are the Democrats complicit in the theft of Iraqi oil? I wish one of you diehard Democrats would give a meaningful answer to that question. I'll ask it again. Are the Democrats complicit in the theft of Iraqi oil? Because, if they are, do they not deserve to be labeled "corporatists" and "imperialists" just like the republicans? You say "no"? That's fine; I'm glad to hear it. Please make your case. The total failure of the Democratic Party to raise this issue in any of the Iraq supplemental funding bills makes a pretty convincing case for their neo-complicity. If American foreign policy is going to be predicated on imperialism and if we are going to use our military to force other countries to yield their resources for the benefit of multi-national conglomerates in the oil industry, what the hell good is any person or party that supports that policy. So, please, I beg you, make an effective case and convince me I should not view the Democratic Party in that light.

As I look at the Democratic Party today, and I have been a true blue loyal Democrat all my life, it feels like something has come to an end. Either I've changed or the Party has. Hear these words: it is not possible to serve two masters. Either the Democratic Party is the Party of the people that adheres to the rule of law or it is the Party of Big Oil and Big Pharma and Big Money. You cannot serve both masters. And let's get past all this business about there being "no difference between the two major parties". Sure there's a difference but the bottom line has to be measured by just who is being represented. It's just possible that both parties put Big Money ahead of We the People.

So, today, I am at a crossroads. Today, it feels like it is time to leave the Democratic Party. Today, it feels like I no longer want to say that what my party is doing is OK. Today, I think I can no longer keep pretending by looking the other way. Don't waste my time telling me how this will just help elect republicans; the "this" I see that will help republicans is a Democratic Party that seems to insist on acting like republicans. This will not be a decision I make lightly but it will be a decision I make very soon. I see no way I can continue to support a Party that can authorize more funds and more time for the madness bush has laid down on the Iraqi people. If you want to try to persuade me to see things differently, I'll be happy to hear you out.