The
Democratic Quandary -
War Opposition or Party Allegiance?
By Joshua Frank
23 March,2006
Countercurrents.org
Can
you really oppose the occupation of Iraq and still call yourself a Democrat?
I’m not so sure. The majority of Washington Dems continue to applaud
Bush’s invasion of Iraq as well as his debauched crusade against
terror. A few antiwar voices have echoed though Democratic corridors,
but none have produced any genuine shifts in ideology, let alone direction.
Nor will they.
It wasn’t long ago
when a handful of activists hailed Rep. Dennis Kucinich’s bid
for the White House as worth fighting for. He seemed to oppose the war
in Iraq and even offered a plan to get troops out quicker than any of
the Democratic frontrunners. People were hopeful their support for Dennis
would make an impact on the presidential race -- and maybe even pull
the Democratic Party in their direction. It never happened. Two years
have now past and those who handed out fliers and buttons for Kucinich
have nothing to show for their efforts.
So, why are Dennis Kucinich
and his most loyal supporters still Democrats?
That’s a question I
wish someone would answer. As far as I can tell, the reason the Dems
can’t stand up to Bush is that they actually believe in this foolish
war. They aren’t afraid or spineless, as so many claim -- they
just support the president and his imperialist ventures. If Kucinich
opposes the occupation, as he and his supporters have said over and
again, then why is he still a member of a party that overwhelming backs
it? Where the hell has he been, anyway?
Sorry Big D, whatever you
are doing out there it’s not working all that well. Your party
doesn’t need you. A new one does.
The same can be said for
Rep. John Murtha, who was all but laughed out of office by his Democratic
buddies when he put forward his strategic redeployment plan a few months
ago. Even Rep. Cynthia McKinney, who courageously cast her vote for
immediate and unconditional withdraw from Iraq, is still a Democrat.
Why? McKinney would be better off jumping ship and throwing her weight
into building a real alternative to business as usual. How can someone
with such a keen understanding of what’s really going in this
world remain a Democrat?
Cynthia, if you really want
to end this war, why don’t you help give birth to a new party
instead of attempting to resurrect a dead one?
Then, of course, we have
the new progressive superman, Senator Russel Feingold, a hopeful 2008
Democratic presidential nominee. Like Kucinich of 2004, Feingold is
being lauded as our last best hope for defeating the Republican demagogues.
But ol’ Russ isn’t finding much sympathy from his fellow
Democrats these days.
Last week Feingold introduced
S. Res. 398, which calls for the “censure” of the president
over his illegal wiretapping incursions. Such a plea was long overdue.
All leading Democrats immediately took cover, dodging any sharp-shooting
questions about the resolution. As of March 21, not a single leading
Senate Democrat had come out in support of the bill. Feingold stood
alone.
So, what are you doing Russ?
Why are you still a Democrat, anyway?
And there’s your biggest
problem. Feingold’s fight to restore integrity in Washington (if
there ever was such a thing) is hindered by his party allegiance and
reluctance to break rank. The same can be said for every other DC Democrat
who is willing to criticize Bush, including Rep. John Conyers. At the
end of the day Conyers, like Feingold, McKinney and Kucinich -- is still
a member of a party that supports the occupation of Iraq and Bush’s
war on civil liberties.
Whatever they say won’t
change that. Worst of all, when push comes to shove, and the Democrats
nominate another pro-war candidate, all their causes will be sidelined.
Party loyalty will matter more than the mounting death toll in Iraq.
I hate to say it, but that
kind of bullshit will never end a war.
Joshua Frank
edits the radical news blog www.BrickBurner.org
and is the author of Left Out! How Liberals Helped Reelect George W.
Bush, published by Common Courage Press (2005). Josh can be reached
at [email protected].