The Democrats’ Obama Opportunity

A reader writes:

You called it:

"[T]he biggest self-inflicted wound since — well John Kerry and Harry Reid." 

Your vision is much too narrow. The worst self inflicted wound since McGovern, when a weak, spineless candidates allowed a hated war time president to remain in the White House and cemented the historic "southern shift" strategy that prevailed for a generation. 

Obama is an historic opportunity for the Dems of FDR proportions, a chance to remake the political landscape for a generation or more. And people like Krugman and his proxy Hillary, who want only political war, narrow short term score settling, are the alternative. If the Dems don’t nominate Obama, and go for Hillary or Edwards, they will have shown themselves to be as corrupt, opportunistic, hypocritical, and small minded as the Republicans. 

I say this as a life long Democrat who in 40 years of voting has only voted once for a Republican (who was running against Phil Gramm for congress). This really is potentially an historic turning point. To blow it will be just too awful to contemplate. Sometimes political decisions have long lasting and significant consequences. It doesn’t happen very often, but this really is one of those times.

Blaming The Victim

Greg Laden:

Between these memories and snippets of information gleaned from her most recent brushes with death, I was fully resolved to the fact that she would not live very many weeks. There is no way, I am certain, that she did not know this herself. The man who shot her could reasonably be called a suicide bomber, but in some ways, he was merely a pawn in Bhutto’s own self-guided martyrdom.

The Moore Award Finalist

A reader writes:

Would you look once again at the Keith Olbermann quote – carefully, this time – and ask yourself whether you really disagree with it.  You haven’t minced words yourself when complaining about what 9/11 has wrought in terms of a totalitarian presidency – and torture – and an ill-fated war in Iraq.  You have argued numerous times that President Bush is likely guilty of war crimes.  And it seems to me that you come very close at times to suggesting that what has happened vis-a-vis the Bush presidency is perhaps the worst thing that 911 has wrought.  And isn’t Fox news part and parcel of Bush and Company?  Sure – Olbermann can be a bit of a windbag; but he is a refreshing wind bag in my book – especially for being so early and often a MSM critic of Bush and Company.

Alas, the Awards are just for the quote cited. They can be unfair. And you get to choose.