Rolling Stone writer William Greider thinks the Dems need to get rid of Daschle and Gephardt. I always liked Daschle – in fact, of the current (admittedly lame) crop of Democratic presidential contenders he and John Kerry were my top two choices. But after the Majority Leader’s capitulation on the Iraq resolution, I’ve definitely soured on him. [As I’ve noted many times here, however you feel about the (all-too-)suddenly all-consuming issue of Iraq, it is Congress’s job to declare war, not the President’s.] As for Gephardt, he’s been trying for too hard, too long. Somebody should’ve told him years ago that, in the media age, a man without eyebrows will never be President. At any rate, I think Greider’s point here is essentially sound — The Democratic leadership needs to stop imagining themselves in higher offices and start drawing lines in the sand.
Category: Election 2002
The Morning After.
As Minnesota picks up the pieces after Senator Wellstone’s untimely death, the GOP starts bashing (Walter) Mondale and Governor Body expects a challenge.
R.I.P. Senator Paul Wellstone 1944-2002.
Oh no. This is horrible news. Wellstone was the progressive lion of the Senate. He’s going to be missed in so many ways. And, while it seems utterly rude to consider politics at this moment of personal tragedy, lest anyone else out there was at first imagining a Jeanne Carnahan scenario to save the contested Senate seat, his wife and daughter are also among the deceased. Will Governor Ventura appoint someone to the seat? Ted Mondale or Skip Humphrey? Whomever it is, I’m positive they won’t fill Wellstone’s shoes.
Paul Wellstone was one of the last champions of the little guy, fighting daily for campaign finance reform, corporate accountability, universal health care, and a cleaner, safer environment. When the Democrats were falling over each other to prostrate themselves before Gore, Wellstone broke ranks to support Bill Bradley. When all too many of his Democratic colleagues in Congress voted to cede their constitutionally-mandated authority to debate and declare war, Wellstone voted no to Dubya’s Johnson-esque power grab. In sum, Wellstone had in surplus those characteristics that are in such short supply in today’s Capitol — vision, compassion, and above all, integrity. In a sea of mealy-mouthed, equivocating liberals, he was a bold, fighting progressive.
And he is struck down in his prime. Meanwhile, Jesse “Race-baiting” Helms and Strom “Dixiecrat” Thurmond just go on and on and on. Sometimes the world seems so goddamn unfair I just can’t wrap my mind around it.
Crunch Time.
Down ten points with two weeks to go in the race for the New York governorship, the Dems threaten to cut Carl McCall off in order to work on removing Jeb in Florida. Hmmm…that’s a lot of ground to make up, particularly given that the sniper story has halted political coverage over the past ten days or so. If in fact the DC sniper was apprehended this morning, I wonder if the networks will get back in the business of election coverage. Somehow, I doubt it…and if they do it’ll be more about Saddam than the economy. Sigh.
Lincoln Bedroom, Schmincoln Bedroom.
Looks like Iraq or the economy isn’t keeping him too busy. As it turns out, Rove and Dubya are using the White House for midterm partisan purposes in unprecedented fashion. Even NASA’s got in on the act, and what the hell has Bush done for NASA?
Fool us once…
The Supreme Court decides to sidestep the New Jersey Senate controversy, paving the way for Lautenberg to serve as the Democratic candidate. To be honest, I’m surprised the Court was savvy enough to realize that nobody wanted to hear another election-deciding opinion from them.
Don’t call it a comeback.
After Bradley and others turn the position down, retired 78-year-old Senator Frank Lautenberg gets the Torricelli slot. Considering the court battle, the internecine Democratic feuding, and Lautenberg’s resounding mediocrity, I’d say the GOP have just picked up a seat. Hopefully the Dems can make it up elsewhere.
No MJ for Bradley.
As many expected, Bill Bradley has removed himself from contention for the Torricelli slot. That’s a shame, but I guess he did retire for a reason.
The Last Binge Continues.
Six weeks before McCain-Feingold is enacted, Republicans and Democrats are begging for money like it’s going out of style.
Hey, wait a minute…
“The result of our attack [on Saddam] would be his using the very weapons we are trying to deter.” TNR profiles Senator Carl Levin, a lonely Democratic voice in the battle over Iraq.